


Worse Than A Cure

by TheNumber1Hero



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Apocalypse, Blackrock Chronicles, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Minecraft, Romance, Teenage Drama, Worksafe, Zombie Apocalypse, multi-chaptered
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-02-04 01:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1761897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNumber1Hero/pseuds/TheNumber1Hero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started out as a typical boring Saturday for the three high school students. Duncan went to his weekend internship while Zoey spent the morning getting Rythian up and out of his bed. Yes, everything was absolutely normal until science went wrong an the world began ending quicker than the three teens could fight it. Rythian Enderborn, Zoey Proasheck and Duncan Jones were sent spiraling into what everyone called the Apocalypse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mages and Internships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this is my multi-chapter Yogscast AU that I had the idea for. This is strongly base off Rythian's Blackrock Chronicles but if you haven't seen the series you should still be able to understand the story. The story mainly focuses around Rythian, Zoey, and Duncan but I'm planning on having the other Yogscast members appear later in. Well, I hope you enjoy this as much as I had fun writing it.

It started out as an incredibly bland day for everyone. So incredibly normal, that Duncan Jones wasn't aware he had two different colored socks on once again. Yes, as he walked into the skyscraper like building run by Enigma Corp everything was absolutely one hundred percent boring. Though, isn't that how all these types of stories start?

Duncan Jones, the name fits so perfectly with an average high school student that just happened to have a normal internship during his senior year. At least, that's what I would like to put here since it would make this story much less painful in the long run. You see sadly Duncan Jones wasn't by any means average or normal. He was incredibly smart for his age and normally that would be considered a gift but with Duncan's journey in mind no one could say it was. If he didn't happen to be so smart, Duncan Jones could have possibly avoided the horrible future that he happened to face. He wouldn't have gotten the job that had him uncover the disaster that was about to shake his world.

You see Duncan worked at Enigma Corp a powerful company dedicated to everything scientific. They did everything from discovering new elements to making cures for diseases that everyone thought were death-sentences. Our teenage intern here just so happened to work in the Technology department, which is where this story begins.  

* * *

The blonde haired teen sighed as he looked at the screen once more. This was all wrong. When he inputted the data the output came out all skewed and wrong.

"Some idiot must have wired the hard-drive incorrectly. Now I'm going to have to re-wire it just because they were being lazy," the teenage scientist grumbled to himself. He began to turn the hard-drive around so he could get a good look at the wires but was quickly interrupted as his pager decided to buzz.

Sighing again, he pulled it off his belt to see where he was wanted.

Even though his I.Q. had secured him a department to work in and pretty much solidified his chances of getting a job here in college, he was still an intern. Interns ran errands for other departments and that he was still in high school meant he was stuck doing them. No one could bend the rules even for their smartest employee, which happened to be a certain Duncan Jones.

Duncan pulled himself out of his thoughts when the needy department's name began flashing on the tiny screen. Duncan strained to see it in the dark room but his eyes soon adjusted. It of course read "medical" as the young scientist had guessed. Recently they had paged him a lot, as their computers constantly kept breaking and in one case had been smashed to pieces.

"If they don't start taking care of their computers I swear I'm going to report every single last one of them," the blonde haired teen grumbled. Pushing his goggles further up his forehead the teen gave a glare to the miss-wired computer before leaving the room to find out what the medical floor needed.

* * *

Rythian Enderborn awoke to a brightly lit room. He scrunched his face and tried to cover it with his pillow, that is, until he figured out that the white fluffy object was missing from under his head. Slowly, a knowing smirk started to spread on his face. There was only one person that had keys to his apartment and would do something like this.

Rythian slowly got up and went over to his closet. He noted that his pillows weren't the only things missing from his bed as his covers had also disappeared too. They weren't even lying on the floor like they normally were when his red-haired friend took them.

"She must have removed them completely from the room," he thought as he pulled on some jeans and a seemingly new long-sleeve black shirt. The purple-eyed teen then made his way over to the lone hook on the wall that held his beloved purple scarf.

He pulled it off its resting place, wrapping it around his neck ever so elegantly and making sure it also covered his mouth. After he made his way over to his bedroom door he opened it only to be hit with the wonderful smell of something cooking in his apartment kitchen. His mouth watered as he walked down the hall.

"Zoey, my covers and pillows suddenly disappeared this morning. You didn't happen to see any trolls taking them, did you," he asked her jokingly as he entered the kitchen. Zoeya Proasheck, other known as Zoey, turned around smiling as she held a spatula in her hand.

"Actually, now that you reminded me they came running down the hall earlier this morning with all your bedding. They said something along the lines of how naughty you were for not waking up on time. After that they placed all your stuff in the closet over there and disappeared in a puff of smoke," she said joking back. Rythian couldn't hold in his laugh and soon Zoey had joined in giggling. When all had quieted down Rythian corrected Zoey on her troll know-how.

"Trolls can't disappear in puffs of smoke but nice try," Rythian corrected her while he sat down at the counter behind the stove. Zoey turned back around to flip the omelet that she was cooking.

"Just because we don't have school today doesn't mean you can sit on your bum all day. You should do something productive like help me with my vegetable garden," she suggest happily.

"Fair enough but if I do that you're going to have to go over your lesson about trolls with me again."

She groaned as she put the omelet on a plate. "Rythian you know I'm bad with magic. I'm never going to be as good at it as you are."

Rythian just gave her an encouraging smile that seemed to say 'yes you will' before levitating the omelet filled plate to the counter in front of him. As he did this Zoey didn't even blink an eye, after all, she was used to it by now. She hadn't minded the day she met and she didn't mind now. His gifts were the reason she was still walking the earth and that deserved nothing but thankfulness in her mind. Magic was cool anyway and she couldn't imagine why anyone would think otherwise. She could still remember everything as if it happened yesterday. That day was probably the most terrifying of her life but because of him it was also the most amazing.

* * *

Zoey rushed through the wet streets on her way home. She must have taken a wrong turn because as she ran civilization seemed to get more and more sparse. Soon she had no idea where she was and how to get back.

Her phone was dead and she had no money for a payphone or she would have called her parents long ago to pick her up. As she thought about her horrible luck she suddenly heard a door to one of the nearby houses slam open. Three men started to walk out but before she could politely ask for directions one of them spoke.

"Hey little chica," he said with a deep slur. Zoey crinkled her nose as she realized the men were drunk. As they got closer Zoey became more and more panicked. She could smell the beer on the men as if they bathed in the stuff.

Slowly, she started to walk away in hopes that they would just leave her alone but of course, luck was never on her clumsy side. They started to follow her more closely, calling her horrible names. She needed to get out of here and quickly before they made do on their disgusting threats.

* * *

Not to far from the scene of Zoey's torment sat a young, purple-eyed teen in his car. A couple months ago he had practiced with a spell that formed a psychic link with any being processing similar magic abilities to his own.

Although he was certain it wouldn't find anyone when he originally casted it, he was completely proved wrong when the spell map burned leaving the name Zoeya Proasheck swirling around his head along with what felt like a strong psychic link.

After the purple-eyed teen had gotten over the shock of the spell working and even finding someone that could use the same magic he could he focused on the new link he had. The link worked as a way to pick up access emotions, which was is a useful way to decide if the person was in danger. The link could also act as a homing beacon in a way to lead you to the person.

Ever since then he had loosely followed her in secret. The more he watched the more he learned. He wasn't being a creep he just wanted to protect her. As far as he could tell she had no idea she could use magic. If anything he wanted her to never know as he knew it would make her life much less happy. It had destroyed his and he was determined to keep it from destroying this girl's life as well.

As he sat in his car he suddenly sensed her fear and desperation. He knew instantly something was wrong as the feelings weren't his, they were the fiery red heads. He turned on his car, revving up the engine, and zooming off towards the panicked girl. The mysterious teen hoped he wouldn't be too late to stop the event unfolding before the hopeless red haired girl.

* * *

As she started to run she didn't notice the two other men get in front on her. She ran into them with a thud and fell to the ground. Her purse contents scattering but she was too busy watching in horror as she was picked up harshly. Zoey Proasheck let out a blood curdling scream hoping someone would hear her even though she knew that no one would.

"What's wrong chica? You're being ungrateful. My pals and I are being generous by inviting you into our home." Zoey quivered as she waited for the unavoidable torture to come. However it never did as in that moment she was suddenly released. She landed on her knees painfully and wondered why the man had suddenly let her go. He seemed to be wondering the same as he kept sharing confused glances between Zoey and his hands.

The sound of a car door opening and closing seemed to echo down the street. Zoey peeked behind her former captor to see a handsome man standing closely by his sleek silver car. He looked to be around Zoey's age but it was hard to tell as an extremely long scarf cleverly hid his nose and mouth. Zoey also noticed that he seemed to have a streak of lighter brown hair on the top of his head that deeply contrasted with the rest of his dark brown locks. The last thing she noticed was the color of his eyes. They were a deep purple that Zoey would think to be natural if she hadn't listened in her biology class.

It was rare to get purple eyes, as it was a genetic disorder that could only appear in women. Though as she knew this information she couldn't bring herself to think they were contacts. Contacts didn't give off a ghostly glow like his eyes were doing. Something definitely seemed unnatural about this guy.

Slowly, Zoey realized the last important detail. The man's left arm was outstretched and his hand was balled into a fist, as if he was mentally holding something from a distance. As if he was waiting for Zoey to notice this, he started to glide his hand to his left. At the same time the man who had held Zoey also slid in the same direction. As he slid the drunkard became increasingly more panicked until the purple-eyed stranger opened his hand, finally releasing him. Once the drunken man was free, he wasted no time stumbling away as fast as he could.

"Now boys," he said smoothly to the remaining drunkards, "I don't think you're giving this young woman much of a fair fight." Zoey noted that his voice was deep but still had a young sounding quality to it.

"Back off she's ours," exclaimed the drunkard that was most likely the head leader and the owner of the house that the men had gotten drunk at.

"Oh well there's no need to be rude," he said with what Zoey could only describe as a fake calm.

"Last time I check people aren't property and treating them as such if i recall correctly is illegal." His left hand shot up again and quickly balled into a fist. The man quickly tensed up as if some giant hand had suddenly wrapped its fingers around him. The mysterious scarf covered young man slowly began raising his fist into the air.

As he did this, the drunken man began to rise as well. At first he was frozen in fear but then after being raised a good meter upwards, he began to scream. Zoey just sat stock still as the remaining drunkard escaped.

"It looks like your friends left you here all alone to face punishment. I guess you'll just have to take their place for them as well. What do you suggest I do to you?" Whatever had kept Zoey silent suddenly snapped as she quickly stood up.

"Put him down," she demanded with a sort of force she didn't know she had. Zoey didn't know if demanding that had been s smart move but she wasn't about be become a witness to a crime scene. She also didn't exactly know the reasons for the stranger stepping in and saving her. For all she knew they could be for far worse reasons than what that drunken men had planned.

The powerful teen looked at her in surprise but it soon turned into a gaze of respect. Zoey could have sworn she also saw a hint of relief but it was gone so fast she couldn't tell for sure. Unhurriedly he lowered his fist and unclenched it, giving a glare to the drunken man once he was set down. As soon as the drunkard's feet had traction he stumbled off as fast as he could.

The scarf covered teen cautiously approached Zoey as if he was afraid any sudden movement would scare her away. He had a valid reason to in Zoey's opinion.

"I'm sorry if that was scary for you but before you run away you might want to pick up all your stuff," he said with obvious nervousness as he squatted down next to her. Whatever deadly self-confidence and fearlessness he had moments ago had melted away.

"What's your name," Zoey asked as she gathered up her purse contents.

"Uh," he said dumbfounded that the fiery redhead hadn't run away yet.

"It's Rythian Enderborn. Yours?"

"My name's Zoey, Zoey Proasheck." Rythian seemed to smile at the name under his scarf. Though Zoey couldn't see it, she had a sort of intuition that it was there.

"So, uh, how did you do that," Zoey asked. Rythian's purple eyes looked down.

"It was magic. Not the fake kind either. I'm one of the pretty much extinct people that can still use real magic. As far as I know I'm the only one left." Rythian decided to leave out that she could use it too. After all it only brought him was loneliness and hurtful betrayals. Staring at her innocent face made telling her not worth it.

"Really?!" Zoey's eyes lit up and a smile spread on her face, as she didn't seem to grasp the sadness of the sentence. She was more excited about the magic he could do and not the implications of it all.

Rythian gave her a confused look, as he wasn't used to this type of reaction. He replied in an equally confused sounding voice, "uh... Yes?"

Zoey didn't seem to notice the young man's discomfort, or if she did she was ignoring it.

"What else can you do," she asked curiously. Rythian looked to the side as if he was trying to escape all the attention. He then put his hand behind her ear. As he pulled it back Zoey noticed a stone mushroom sitting on his once empty palm. He offered it to her and she yet again could tell he was smiling underneath his mask.

"I love it. Mushrooms happen to be my favorite plant you know," she said as she took the stone object. Just as soon as she did the purple-eyed Rythian stood up. He offered her his hand, which she took and used to get up. Though, not before storing her mushroom safely in her purse.

"If you don't mind me asking, where do you live? I would rather not have you walking back to your place alone," he asked once she was standing.

"Are you offering me a ride," Zoey questioned shakily as she was slightly nervous about getting into the car with him. Even though he seemed like a nice guy she really didn't know anything about him other than his name and the fact he could use real magic.

"Well, yeah. I mean I understand if you don't want to. After all we know nothing about each other but personally I think it's safer then betting for your safety out here," he said as he opened the passenger side door of his car and kindly gesturing for her to get in.

"Fair point," Zoey said as she scrunched her face in defeat. She would have called for her parents to pick her up but the inability to do so was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Zoey sighed and walked over to Rythian so she could climb into his car.

Once she was next to the door Rythian moved and Zoey got in. The purple-eyed teen shut the door behind her and then got in on the drivers side. Revving up the car, he took off down the road. Zoey watched as the bad part of town melted away and the city became more prominent.

"So your address," Rythian asked out of no-where. Zoey jumped slightly in the chair as his sudden question startled her. What could she say? She had been through a scary night. Zoey thought she deserved to be nervous around any guy for a while. Though oddly the more she sat in the vicinity of Rythian the more at ease she felt. It also helped that he was the one driving her closer to the safe part of civilization.

"Zoey? Are you alright? I just asked you for your address again. You didn't answer," Rythian, said with concerned as he glanced quickly at her.

"Had he asked me again? I guess I didn't notice," Zoey thought to herself.

"Yeah I'm sorry. I'm just a little shaken up after all that has happened tonight. My address is 11727 Rango Lane in Blackrock View." Rythian pressed a button on the steering wheel and the car asked for an address. Rythian repeated what the redhead had said and a map lit up on the dashboard. Zoey hadn't noticed until now but the car was rather fancy for a high school student.

For the remainder of the car ride they sat in silence though Rythian would occasionally glance at her to make sure she was all right. Once they were finally in Zoey's neighborhood the fiery red head let out a breath she wasn't aware that she had held. The familiarity of the place had settled the rest of her anxious nerves. All accept the nerves that dealt with her parents.

"What am I going to tell them," she asked herself as she tried to calm her nervousness. They were no doubt going to want to meet Rythian after she steps out of his car.

"We're here," said the person that Zoey just so happened to be thinking about. He had said those two words in such a calm voice. If Zoey were him she would have shaken from the thought of meeting her father.

Though, Rythian had no reason to, as she hadn't told him anything about her parents. Zoey watched as he made his way out of his car and opened the door for her. If this had been a date Zoey would be falling head over heels for him and his manners but this wasn't.

She shakily grabbed her purse and stepped out of the sleek vehicle. As if on cue her parents came bursting out of the house, worried expressions on their faces as they rushed over. She also caught some glares from her father that were aimed at Rythian. Zoey's mother was the first to get there. She wrapped her daughter in a tight hug and Zoey could have sworn she heard her mom biting back a sob.

"Oh Zoeya Proasheck where have you been? It's four hours after the time you were supposed to be home. Your father and I were so worried," Mrs. Proasheck said sounding as if she was trying not to go into hysterics.

Zoey's father came up next to them, giving Rythian a glare as he voiced his thoughts. "You better not have been late because of this boy here Zoeya."

Rythian's face scrunched up. He turned his head slightly and by his face Zoey could tell he wanted to tell her parents what had happened. She slightly nodded her head in agreement and he got the hint.

"Actually Mr. Proasheck, Zoey here got in a lot of trouble with some drunk men tonight." Zoey's mother gasped and let go of her daughter. She checked her over making sure there wasn't a scratch on her.

"Zoey, they didn't do anything to you did they," the motherly women asked her daughter. The young red head shook her head in a 'no' before speaking up.

"No but they would have if Rythian hadn't driven by when he did. I got lost walking home and before I knew it those men had come out of their home. They grabbed me before I could get away. Rythian-," Zoey stopped. She couldn't tell them what Rythian had actually done. They would think she had finally gone mad even if it was from the horror of the situation she had just been in.

She already went to a therapist after her parents had figured out that their daughter believed she could talk to mushrooms. Zoey gave a quick glance to Rythian and noticed he was giving her a pleading look. He wanted her to leave out the magic details too.

"What about Rythian," Mrs. Proasheck asked her daughter. Concern seemed to be creeping into her voice, as she must have imagined the worst.

"Uh, he pulled them from me. I'm sorry. I got caught up in what they could have done to me."

"Why didn't you just call? Your father and I were worried sick. We could have gotten you," Zoey's mother said, sounding as if she was trying not to cry.

"Her phone was out of power and she had no money for a pay-phone," Rythian said. He was finally speaking up after watching the two women's conversation.

"You must be Rythian right," asked Zoey's father. Rythian respectfully nodded at Mr. Proasheck's question.

"What were you exactly doing on that street? You don't seem like you would live there," he asked sounding suspicious. Rythian started to get a little nervous. He couldn't tell them how he found her. One, he would seem crazy and two, he would seem like a creeper.

"Uh well, I was actually heading to a out of the way book store. I found her while I was on my way there." Zoey's father nodded, accepting the answer he was given.

"How did you get those men off of her? They must have been big" Zoey's mother questioned. Rythian wracked his mind for an explanation to this question.

"Well, I actually know a bit of karate. I just had to find their center point so I could flip them off of her," he said making the most plausible explanation while on the spot. Mr. Proasheck's face softened once he had finally realized that Rythian had saved his daughters life.

"Thanking you for bringing her home safely. You are welcome here anytime and I'm sorry for my rude actions earlier," said Zoey's father.

"Don't worry about it Mr. Proasheck. If it were my daughter coming home after curfew with a complete stranger, I would have acted the same way. You don't have to thank me either. Any guy with common sense would have brought your daughter home just as I had." Mr. Proasheck offered his hand to Rythian and he shook it. By then the girls had finally let go of their hug and Rythian was happy to see Zoey looked better.

"Have you had dinner yet Rythian? Why don't you come in and have some with us? I made too much mushroom stew and pork shops anyway," said Zoey's mother with a smile on her face.

"Sure, I would love to Mrs. Proasheck," was his reply as he followed the family into their home.

* * *

Zoey was pulled out of her memories as Rythian tugged down his scarf. A feat he only did when he was eating or sleeping. Though what always made Zoey stop and look was what he hid under the long purple thing. On his face, starting at his collarbone and his shoulder blade were black lines of various thicknesses etched into his skin. They stopped just at his cheekbone, never reaching his nose but definitely crossing over the far right side of his lips.

Once, when she had asked about it, he stated that it was from an accident with magic. Zoey knew that he wasn't telling the full truth though as she had done some of her own research to find out the meanings of the black markings. Unknown to Rythian, Zoey had figured out they were caused by consistent use of Dark magic. Dark magic just happened to be the only thing Rythian refused to teach her even if she was his apprentice.

The book she had found the startling information in never specified what spells caused the dark markings but it did say something about the etchings being classified as a 'slow effect curse'. Zoey had no idea what that had meant but she did know that it didn't sound good.

The purple-eyed mage quickly gulped down his food while Zoey was thinking. He usually ate quickly so that his markings weren't visible for too long. All too soon the scarf was back over his face and he was bringing his plate over to the sink.

"Why don't we tend to your garden first Zoey? We can go back over your lesson on trolls later," said Rythian as he put the dish in the dishwasher. Zoey smiled at him as she was finished thinking about her mysterious friend.

"Alright, I'll be waiting at the door. Don't take too long or the mushrooms might wither. Barry gets very impatient if he's not watered on time," said the redhead as she bounded out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and over to Rythian's apartment door. Rythian just chuckled slightly to himself as he found his shoes and quickly slipped them on.

'Zoey, you might be crazy but you're definitely my kind of crazy,' the teen thought as he walked over to his door. He politely opened it for his friend and they both headed to his car to tend to the waiting Barry.

Rythian Enderborn and Zoeya Proasheck had no idea they would not be visiting the red head's household again together in an exceedingly long time.

* * *

Duncan Jones found himself in an Elevator heading to the Medical floor. He was just couldn't wait to see what type of damage the broken equipment was going to be in this time. He rolled his eyes as a 'ding' was heard and the doors opened.

Duncan was quickly becoming wary as he exited the elevator. The hallway was dark which was odd because 2 pm was usually the busiest time on this floor. As he walked further down the hallway the motion activated lights flicked on. No one was in the hallway and the usually noisy rooms were silent.

"Did Enigma Corp given everyone on this floor a day off? That can't be right though because if they did, who would have buzzed for me," Duncan whispered to himself in the creepily empty hallway. All too soon he had reached the end of it. There was a door in front of him that was cracked slightly open. It shouldn't have been though as on this floor key cards locked the doors and everyone was supposed to shut them when they left. Duncan was torn. He wanted to go in and see what was there but then he also had an instinctive feeling that was saying 'turn around'.

Taking a deep breath he chose the first one and gently pushed on the door. It creaked but other than that opened fine. The young intern stepped into the room and the lights instantly flickered on. What Duncan saw in that room was never going to be unseen by him. Blood was everywhere. It was on the walls, on the floors, and splattered all over different types of equipment in the room. Oddly enough though, there were no bodies, which unnerved Duncan more than the blood.

As Duncan was turning to run out of the room though, something caught his eye next to his foot. He slowly bent down and picked it up only to realize it was a pager. Though what made him drop it and flee the building was what it said

The unsent message read, "To: Intern Duncan- Don't get help just escape with your life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 2 Preview:**  
>  In the United States there are many states and within those states are many cities. However there is one boring town that is grey and bland. It’s home to cookie cutter people that life in identical houses and working in identical buildings. Nothing is different in this town and everyone is okay with this. Everyone except for one little boy named Rythian Enderborn.
> 
> He grew up like every child in this town. He was taught the same, treated the same, cared for the same but he himself wasn’t the same. As he turned eight he began to change and everyone noticed it. No longer would he go out and play with his friends. He would instead stay in his room reading all day. The contents of the books he stuffed his brain with were unknown to everyone but the children of the town. Soon he came home with bruises and bloody noses but no one asked why. He was just given a rag and told to clean up before dinner...


	2. Find Her and Save Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It started out as a typical boring Saturday for the three high school students. Duncan went to his weekend internship while Zoey spent the morning getting Rythian up and out of his bed. Yes, everything was absolutely normal until science went wrong an the world began ending quicker than the three teens could fight it. Rythian Enderborn, Zoey Proasheck and Duncan Jones were sent spiraling into what everyone called the Apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter two. For those of you wondering, chapter three is currently in the works. Please remember to drop a review. They are really encouraging and help me focus on getting the next chapter out.

In the United States there are many states and within those states are many cities. However there is one boring town that is grey and bland. It’s home to cookie cutter people that life in identical houses and working in identical buildings. Nothing is different in this town and everyone is okay with this. Everyone except for one little boy named Rythian Enderborn.

He grew up like every child in this town. He was taught the same, treated the same, cared for the same but he himself wasn’t the same. As he turned eight he began to change and everyone noticed it. No longer would he go out and play with his friends. He would instead stay in his room reading all day. The contents of the books he stuffed his brain with were unknown to everyone but the children of the town. Soon he came home with bruises and bloody noses but no one asked why. He was just given a rag and told to clean up before diner.

No parent cared that the very people he used to call friends were hurting him. This boy grew up like this for many years and soon accepted this as his life. After all no one seemed to care why he read those books. They didn’t seem to notice the odd scorch marks in his room, stains on the ceilings that should be impossible to achieve, or the gradual discoloring of his blue eyes. No one seemed notice the odd person out. The mage was just another person that didn’t fit in but still didn’t warrant extra attention. After all, in this cookie cutter town, one could only imagine what they would do to him if they found out.

Rythian’s eyes shot open and he let out a shuddering gasp. The mage was used to having many different types of dreams but there was only one he couldn’t stand. It was a nightmare about his past and he truly hated it. The dream itself wasn’t too horrible it was what always happened after he had it. That dream was a warning and he only got it when something truly horrifying was soon to happen. Just as everything was going right in his life, the universe couldn’t resist throwing a curveball at him.

As he begrudgingly got up to get dressed Rythian speculated what events would soon come into existence. He racked his brain for plausible solutions to every possible problem as he made his way to the kitchen. Zoey was absent from the house unsurprisingly since she always spent Sunday morning with her family before he stopped by and joined them for lunch. Reaching the kitchen, he made his way to the fridge only to be blinded by an obnoxiously pink sticky note innocently placed on the handle. Swiftly pulling it off Rythian was met with curly handwriting that belonged to a certain redhead.

‘Rythian, you’re out of milk. I used the last of it to make that omelette yesterday. Remember to pick some up or you won’t have any for breakfast Sunday. With Love ~ Zoeya!’ Sighing Rythian wondered how he ever survived living in this apartment before he met the kind red head that he cared so much for.

It was nothing short of a miracle if you asked him though he had no time to think on it much more. He glanced at the clock as his eyebrows raised. It was 10:40 AM and if he didn’t leave now he would be getting an earful from Zoey for being late to lunch with her family. Swiping his keys from the nearby counter he pulled his favorite scare further up his face before leaving the apartment rather quickly. He gave a long glance at the apartment he had called home from the moment he could leave his parent’s place. Looking back to the road ahead he couldn’t seem to shake the unidentifiable feeling that was forming in his chest.

* * *

Somewhere is in this small town a blonde teen could be found pacing his home as he tried not to have a mental break down. So far he had succeeded in this but he knew if he didn’t find something to occupy his mind that he wouldn’t stay sane for much longer. No one would blame him either, if they had seen what he had the previous night.

After fleeing Enigma Corp. after his horrifying find, the goggle wearing teen had holed himself in his room to think over what he had seen. What ever happened that day started on the medical floor and that meant nothing good at all. Theories raced around Duncan’s head as he tinkered with his inventions. His parents hadn’t arrived home from their jobs at the local hospital, which normally didn’t bother Duncan, but he couldn’t stop himself from being worried. Though in some ways this was a good thing as the teen now had free reign in his home to figure out a plan and make the machines he would need.

The blonde stopped pacing soon enough so that he could go back to finishing the last gadget he would need. It was a portable scanner that looked for any anomalies of any person. In theory it was supposed to find the anomaly he found in some of the blood that he had gotten on his cloths. One of the stains had some rather disturbing mutation so Duncan thought it would be a good guess to check every person for it. Soon the last screw was in place and Duncan took a moment to lean back in his chair and slide his goggles back up to his forehead.

He slowly reached for the radio and switched it on hoping to hear some nice relaxing music before he left to solve the problem at hand.  However his normal station was not playing music. Instead he heard several people talking and he didn’t like what they were saying. He quickly wished he hadn’t turned on his radio at all.

“For those of you who have just tuned in, there has been an accident in our station. A couple of hours ago some disturbing things were heard on-air. Patrick Jones who normally runs or music channel was attacked in his sound booth while giving this morning’s traffic report. The animal was gone when people finally got the booth’s door open and Patrick was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. He is currently having surgery in Mincraftia’s prominent hospital and it is unknown if he will recover. The only comments we could get from the hospital staff is that his injuries were rather severe and were cause by an unidentifiable animal. We were told to warn everyone to lock their windows and doors tightly tonight and call the local police tip line if you get anymore information on this animal…”

Duncan switched the radio off so he could process what he had just heard. The one thing he prayed wouldn’t be the cause for these horrifying events was turning out to be true. It was as if these turn of events were coming right out of a horror movie and there was nothing the blonde could do about it. Though he at least had try… After all he was the only one who had the slightest idea of how this started and how to possibly stop it.

Swiftly settling down in front of his workbench, Duncan quickly gathered all the machinery that could be even the slightest bit useful. Like always he was the only one willing to fix a machines problem and this was no different. All he had to do was find the source of the malfunction and fix it. It was as simple as putting in a single equation in a computer and having it do the rest. He stuffed his trusty backpack with supplies of all sorts and grabbed his coat as he left the room.

Opening the front door and taking one last glance to the place he spent most of his time, Duncan shut the front door behind himself. He had the slightest feeling he wouldn’t be coming back here but he pushed those thoughts to the side in determination that the solution to this problem was simple. However it wasn’t at all simple and even a genius can’t look into the future.

* * *

The drive to Zoey’s wasn’t too long but to Rythian it always felt like an eternity. In these fifteen minutes he had no idea if she was okay and couldn’t check as he drove down the familiar streets of Mincraftia. She had made him promise that while he was driving he would only focus on that. Tracking their connection did require focus and ever the loving girl Zoey didn’t want him to crash and get hurt. He always held to his promises with her even though he didn’t like some of them.

Finally the silence in the car got too much for the mage. He was already on edge after waking up from his concerning dream. In an attempt to calm his nerves the purple-eyed teen clicked on his radio in the hope to hear some calming music. However the station Zoey had always seemed to turn to was not playing music as it normally did twenty-four hours a day. Much to his discontent, people were talking and by the sound of their voices, it wasn’t anything good.

“For those of you still tuned in for information on Patrick Jones, we have gotten some new developments on his condition. We are told that whatever mauled him in our station has an unidentifiable infectious disease. We have been advice to warn everyone in the surrounding area to lock his or her doors and stay inside. Any buildings surrounding or station are to be evacuated and quarantined. The animal has not been found yet so please spread the word to your neighbors, friends, and family. This is MZPL signing off. Stay inside and stay safe listeners…”

As the last broadcaster signed off the channel turned to unsettling static. The only thing that raced through his mind was that Zoey’s house was less than a block away from her favorite station, MZPL. The mage just pulled his scarf further up his nose and pressed down on the gas. He had to make sure she was safe.

She was the only one like him and the only person that ever took the time to get to know him. She wasn’t scared of him and didn’t bully him. She was everything he wasn’t as he was the dark and she was the light. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He wouldn’t because he loved her…

He almost broke one of his promises when out of nowhere someone stepped into the street. With only seconds to react, the mage slammed his foot on the brake and yelled a slowing spell as quickly as he could. The person was only able to turn towards the on-coming vehicle with wide eyes and a silent prayer that was impossible to allow. Lucky for the idiot that stepped in front of his car, magic could easily perform what was considered miracles. The car came to a quick stop and gently nudged the frozen persons knee as it halted.

Throwing his door open, the furious Mage got out to access the damage that was almost caused. His eyes seemed to glow a slightly with the anger that bubbled up inside him. This idiot was about to get a piece of his mind for delaying him so inconsiderately.

“What the hell were you thinking you idiot. If I hadn’t stopped in time you would be bleeding on the road right now. What the hell is wrong with you,” Rythian furiously demanded. At the mage’s yelling, the shorter blonde teen seemed to shrink with fright. Though this reaction didn’t last long since it soon morphed into an emotion that could only be described as nervous shock.

"Rythian?"

"Yeah, that's my name. How did you know tha- oh, you have got to be kidding me." Rythian shook his head as he let out an annoyed sigh.

"I should have just kept driving," was all he could manage to say under his breath. Either Duncan didn't hear the comment or he ignored it since he just continued nervously shifting in place.

Whenever they crossed paths in the past the self-proclaimed genius, because tests can’t decide how smart you are, always had a hidden agenda. Ever since Duncan had almost convinced him to use some magic only for the mage to feel betrayed when he would report his findings to the Sjin and Sips duo. They had convinced the science obsessed teen that Rythian was apart of a cult and they wanted to expose the lies he believed. In truth they just wanted to start more rumors to ruin the teens life even further.

This didn’t cease Rythian’s anger as he thought about when didn’t used to be scared of him. The day Rythian had finally gotten up the courage to show his best friend what he could do, he was met with abandonment as he was beaten by his companion’s, “new friends.”

Slowly the blonde seemed to realize that Rythian wasn’t going to hurt him. All he was doing was waiting for an answer which Duncan had no choice but to give. However he could never say the real reason, as Rythian was always suspicious of him. If Rythian had heard the news report about the station then there was no way on earth he would get there if he told Rythian about it.

“I’m… Uh… Checking to see if Zoey’s okay,” Duncan lied. The goggle wearing teen held his breath as if he expected the purple eyed teen to call him out on his twist of words. However the mage never did as he simply asked another question.

“Why on earth would you be visiting Zoey,” the tall teen asked the shorter one in a more calmly drawn out tone. Anyone listening could have also picked up a hint of curiosity if they were close enough to hear it.

“Uhm… Well, I knew her home was so close to that radio station that was broken into this morning. Zoey is the only person I know who lives around there and I wanted to make sure she was okay,” the young genius said with much more confidence, as Rythian had believed his first twist of the truth.

“Well, you’re in luck as I’m headed to the same place as you. I’ll give you a ride so just get in,” the mage said gesturing to his car. Duncan began to shrink away as he realized what he had just gotten himself into. When Rythian offered someone a ride it was more of a demand. Duncan had no chance of getting out of this one and with a sigh of defeat he opened the back door and sat down. His streak of good luck had come to a halt as Karma quickly caught up with the blonde liar.

As soon as Duncan had sat down and buckled in Rythian quickly climbed in and started the car. Buckling himself in and turning up the music so the other teen in the car would decide against starting any conversations.

* * *

The car ride was graciously short in Duncan’s opinion, which he thanked karma dearly for. No more than five minutes after nearly being run over the blonde saw the house that Rythian had been heading to. Duncan however had no intention of staying as he had more important things to be doing such as saving Mincraftia from whatever Enigma Corp. had released on it.

So the young genius was a little surprised when he was dragged out of the taller teen’s car and towards the front door a of a familiar girl’s home. The moment the taller teen grabbed his wrist; Duncan knew that he was going to be delayed for quite awhile. Rythian had always been adept at figuring out peoples intentions so it wasn't hard to realize that the purple-eyed teen had never bought is lie at all.

He silently watched as Rythian rung the doorbell and waited. No one moved and for a couple second both teens thought that no one was home. That was, until a loud thud could be heard from an upstairs window. Duncan caught what had to have been a small smile under Rythian’s scarf before more thuds where heard and the door quickly swung open. A bright red haired girl slouched, panting in the doorway before jumping on the scarf covered teen and burying her head in his chest.

“Why didn’t you call me before you left? You’re here early so you must have heard the what they said on MZPL,” she said with a wobbly voice that was an obvious sign of the recent shedding of tears. The blonde watched with wonder as Rythian slowly took his free hand and wrapped it around the girl in a shy hug. It was obvious that he still wasn’t used to close contact that for a moment made the blonde genius feel a tad bit guilty.

“Don’t cry Zoey, I’m here aren’t I? You’re fine and so am I so why don’t we step inside?” Wit that question, Duncan watched Zoey pull away and wipe away her tears before stepping into the house. Rythian quickly followed, Duncan in tow from the firm grip that was trapping his arm. Duncan found himself frozen in place as he quickly took in every detail of the room he had found himself in. During these couple seconds the door behind him was shut and his wrist released.

As soon as every detail was taken in Duncan found himself standing alone in the home’s foyer. He could hear a muffled conversation somewhere to his left and making a split decision, Duncan started down the hallway on his right. Eventually he found his way to the kitchen and sat himself down at its kitchen table.

He opened his backpack that he had dumped on the floor and let out a disgruntled sigh as he saw that the most important object in it had been broken slightly when Rythian had yanked him out of his car. He grabbed it and placed it delicately on the table in order for him assess the damage. Grabbing a screwdriver and some other small tools, the young genius quickly got to work at repairing his much-needed scanner. If what was loose in Minecraftia was what the teen thought it was then he needed as much help as he could invent.

* * *

Rythian had let go of Duncan’s wrist as soon as the door shut behind them. It didn’t matter if the blonde left now, since Rythian had succeeded in delaying him. It was a commonly known quirk of Duncan’s to completely forget about what he was doing if he was delayed long enough by something.

However Rythian highly doubted that it had worked in his favor this time since whatever the blonde was doing had been important enough to lie for. Even when it was well known that the young “genius” couldn’t lie to save his life. Rythian especially new this as he had been the blunt receiver of most of the lies Duncan had said in his lifetime.

Now, he was following Zoey to her room as she insisted that they should turn on her radio and attempt to get more information. He had tried telling her that they had gone off-air, but in true Zoey fashion she wanted you hear none of it before she confirmed it for herself. She was strange like that but as always, Rythian never minded.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Zoey tapped his shoulder with an obvious pout on her face. He found himself sitting on a bed next to the fiery girl as she poked him gently in the side. A radio was in her other hand giving off a gentle stream of static as he became more alert.

“I told you they went off air,” was the only thing he managed to say before his scarf was suddenly over his eyes. Pulling it back down, the mage smiled as he already saw the girl was across the room and staring out the window. His smile dropped however when he saw a frown on Zoey’s face. It was odd seeing it there on her face. She rarely ever frowned…

“Zoey? What’s wrong?” Just as quickly as he had asked the question he was next to her by the window. All she did in reply was shakily raise a finger to point at the lawn of the house across the street. Following this direction he instantly understood why she had begun shaking like a leaf.

“R-Ryth…. What is that thing,” were the only quivering words she could utter before her voice gave out.

Finally Duncan’s recent actions clicked in his mind. Rage began to bubble up inside him until he felt like he could almost explode. He needed answers now and the only person able to give them better hope they were still downstairs.

“DUNCAN!!!”

Somewhere downstairs a certain blonde haired boy almost jumped out of his skin as he tightened the last screw only to hear his name being yelled. He could only imagine that’s what someone’s name would sound like if yelled by a person about to murder them. Realizing what he had just though, Duncan jumped out of the seat he was in and backed into the corner just as a furious Rythian exploded into the room.

It was obvious he was trying to calm down but with no progress. Finally it seemed he was cooling off just enough to take a couple breaths. After the last deep exhale, Rythian began speaking in what was an attempted at a calm voice that sounded more like quite anger. Anyone could hear the anger bubbling just underneath the surface of the words.

“Duncan take a look out the window and tell me what you see,” Rythian said with a finger pointed at the window just beside the cowering blonde. Slowly, Duncan did as he was told and slowly understood why the mage was so angry. Standing outside in the view of all three teens looking out the window was something straight out of a horror film.

“What is it,” Zoey asked softly. They were all afraid of what answer could be yet now one wanted to utter it.

"A zombie," Duncan at the same time as Rythian. At the mention of the abomination's name, Zoey's slightly nervous expression became more panicked.

"Ryth... My parents are on their way home and that thing is outside," she admitted as the color drained from her face. As if life was mocking her, a car could be heard pulling up to the house. The engine smoothly cut off and in that next second of silence all hell broke loose. Zoey ran for the door knowing that if she didn’t get there soon her only family would die. Just as she was lunging for it however she was caught and dragged away.

"Rythian! Please! I can save them! Please let me save them," she screamed while trying to break from the tall teen's grip. She knew it was him. She knew he would stop her because she couldn’t save them. She didn’t have control of her magic and going out there would only likely get her killed. She didn’t care though. She couldn't love without her parents. Rythian may not like his but she loved hers and she couldn’t leave them outside to die.

She opened her mouth to plead with him more but the words caught in her throat from what was heard outside. First it was screaming that was soon followed by snapping and gurgling. The most heartbreaking moment though was the silence before the uttering of two distinct groans.

"No you couldn't," was the only thing Rythian said as he let go of the distraught Zoey. She fell limply to her knees and continued to cry. All Duncan could do was stare at the door and hope that it could hold up long enough for them to figure out a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 3 Preview:**  
>  “What is it?”
> 
> Zoey wished she had never asked that question. She also wished she never heard the answer because some child-like part of her still believed that if she hadn’t asked they would still be alive. Her loving mother and her protective father, who cared and housed her and who never got to hear one last ‘I love you’ or even a ‘Thank you.’ 
> 
> She never got to say those two things and she didn’t think she would ever be able to get over that. She knew she couldn’t save them but her heart said that if she couldn’t save them then she didn’t deserve to live without them. 
> 
> “A zombie.” 
> 
> There was the answer. The terrible answer that made her lose her parents.
> 
> “Ryth... My parents are on their way home and that thing is outside.” 
> 
> This was the moment reality struck and she knew she would lose everything.
> 
> "Rythian! Please! I can save them! Please let me save them!" 
> 
> She screamed. She screamed as loud as she could. As if this would block out their screams and bring them back to life.
> 
> “No you couldn’t.” 
> 
> Yes, reality was a tricky thing. Zoey knew this. She had struggled with it in the past and know she regretted ever winning against it. Because a perfect fantasy was better than the crimson that would never wash out of her driveway… Loss and grief work hand in hand and there was no escape from them. Not even down the rabbit hole...


	3. Worthy Clues and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It started out as a typical boring Saturday for the three high school students. Duncan went to his weekend internship while Zoey spent the morning getting Rythian up and out of his bed. Yes, everything was absolutely normal until science went wrong an the world began ending quicker than the three teens could fight it. Rythian Enderborn, Zoey Proasheck and Duncan Jones were sent spiraling into what everyone called the Apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three is finally here for all of you to read. The kudos I received after just one day was very encouraging. I have to say. It was partially why this chapter came out so quickly. The other reason was the wonderful review I received. I'm so very glad that so many people enjoy this story as much as I love writing it. 
> 
> I couldn't wait long to post the next part of Worse Than a Cure so it hasn't had the chance to be edited yet. If you spot a major error please leave a review so I can fix it right away. Meanwhile, I'll go re-read it to filter out more errors until I can get it beta-read. Until next chapter!

_“What is it?”_ Zoey wished she had never asked that question. She also wished she never heard the answer because some child-like part of her still believed that if she hadn’t asked they would still be alive. Her loving mother and her protective father, who cared and housed her and who never got to hear one last ‘I love you’ or even a ‘Thank you.’

She never got to say those two things and she didn’t think she would ever be able to get over that. She knew she couldn’t save them but her heart said that if she couldn’t save them then she didn’t deserve to live without them.

 _“A zombie.”_ There was the answer. The terrible answer that made her lose her parents.

 _“Ryth... My parents are on their way home and that thing is outside.”_ This was the moment reality struck and she knew she would lose everything.

 _"Rythian! Please! I can save them! Please let me save them!"_ She screamed. She screamed as loud as she could. As if this would block out their screams and bring them back to life.

 _“No you couldn’t.”_ Yes, reality was a tricky thing. Zoey knew this. She had struggled with it in the past and know she regretted ever winning against it. Because a perfect fantasy was better than the crimson that would never wash out of her driveway… Loss and grief work hand in hand and there was no escape from them. Not even down the rabbit hole.

* * *

Rythian could NOT stand still. His guilt just wouldn’t let him. It had been slowly eating him away as it replayed the bloody events that seemed to have happened ages ago. He had stood and done nothing as the closests beings he could call parents died screaming on their driveway. Had died screaming nearly a yard from him. He could have saved them. He could have! But he hadn’t.

Why? Why hadn’t he?

Mr. and Mrs. Proasheck had been the closest people he called ever apply the term ‘parents’ to. They had invited him to dinner every night after figuring out the situation he was in. How he had his own apartment because his parents were too busy to even care. They had made it their job to accept him into their family. How they had invited him to all of their family get togethers and talked to him as if he was apart of their family. All of this and yet he had held back their only daughter and watched as they died…

If he were Zoey he would never forgive himself. He wouldn’t blame her if she did just that, after all even though she didn’t have enough power to save them, Rythian definitely did. The only thing that stopped him cold in his tracks was that stupid blonde that would have seen every spell. If Duncan hadn’t been here to watch, maybe Zoey’s parents would still be alive. What wishful thinking that was… no matter how far Rythian ran, Duncan always seemed to catch up to him. Fate had their destinies tied no matter how much Rythian wished they weren't.

This also made getting Zoey to safety ninety percent harder than it had to be. Normally Rythian wouldn’t have to worry about using magic to protect Zoey but with Duncan tagging along, he made the situation a whole ‘nother ball game. Normally if Rythian had to use magic, it was around people that wouldn’t been believed by others if they relayed their experiences. Duncan however was a kid genius, a prodigy, he was already well respected for getting an internship at Enigma Corp despite his age. If Duncan saw him use his magic and relayed what he saw, everyone would believe him.

Rythian couldn’t even dwell on what would happen next. He’d be rounded up, deemed a threat, and locked up as they figured out what made him tick. He had seen it all too well in his childhood, though at their age it was the bullies who did the rounding up and beating. Duncan had used to be his friend through thick and thin as a child. That didn’t last long after the beatings started however. His one and only friend switched to hurting him rather than protecting seemingly overnight.

Shaking his head Rythian tried to get his thoughts back on track. He had to think of a safe way to get everyone out of Zoey’s house. At first the creatures had come off rather dumb, that was until they had started slamming their bodies against the windows in an effort to reach their food. This development had not only startled the Rythian and the other occupants of the house but had also raised the need for an escape.

If more of them came, Rythian knew that they wouldn’t be safe here long. He paced as different ideas swarmed through his head. His pacing seemed to last for hours as every idea he had seemed to fail on one front. He couldn’t use magic and that made getting out of here impossible.

At some point during the mage’s inner tsunami of thoughts a certain heartbroken sobbing had stopped. He didn’t notice, later a certain blonde had made them dinner. He still didn’t notice as he paced around the house like a knight protecting something. Maybe he was trying to protect the sanity of his mind? No one noticed or if they did, they were too afraid to care.  The scratching outside seemed to grow louder as Rythian kept pacing faster and faster.

* * *

Hours later after the sun had long ago set, Duncan let out a sigh of relief as he replaced the back of the last piece of broken equipment that he had.  It had taken awhile but all the damage Rythian had caused by startling him had been fixed. All of his survival equipment was once again operational and ready to go.

All he needed now was to find his way to Enigma Corp. Something had happened there to start all this. Something big. Duncan just had to get there and figure out what. He had to...he was probably the only one able to fix whatever had happened and despite how much the world sucked, he couldn’t let it end like this. The only problem was, he didn’t know if he could do it alone.

The zombies outside were admittedly smarter than Duncan originally thought they would be. He didn’t want to admit it, but surviving on his own would probably be harder than he originally calculated. He would never get to Sci-corp in one piece if he didn’t brings more people with him. The blonde’s mind briefly wandered to the other occupants of the house before snapping back.

There was no way in hell he would work with Rythian. The other taller teen already hated him anyway, he would never agree to it. Plus, every time the mysterious Rythian started at him Duncan could place pure hatred in his gaze. Yet, was traveling alone any safer than Traveling with Rythian. Going alone was definitely more dangerous than traveling in a group but that was without factoring Rythian in.

Rythian, in Duncan’s opinion, had always been a wild card. Duncan prided himself in being able to predict people's actions as easily as coding in a computer. If a person wore a scowl, they were annoyed. If a person was smiling, they were happy. However, much to Duncan’s dismay, Rythian had always been immune to this particular ability of Duncan’s. He could never figure out he taller teen’s true motives and it wasn’t just because of his scarf.

No, Rythian his own species. He didn’t tick quite like humans did. His walking was always a bit more stiff. His expressions were always a bit more empty. His nature was always a bit more darker. All things that didn’t make sense to Duncan. Rythian was that puzzle piece that would always just never quite fit anywhere and Duncan didn’t like that at all. He was an uncertainty surrounded by absolutes.

Despite all this however, Duncan knew he couldn’t make it out of this house alone. He needed Rythian and Zoey. He just hoped they would listen and help him. Duncan, quickly packed up the equipment he had strewn all over the kitchen table in an effort to sort what he had fixed. Once he had made sure everything was securely packed, and nothing would break if his bag dropped one more, he made his way to the living room.

He noticed that the room had slightly changed since he had last peeked in. Zoey had silently come down hours earlier and had resorted to staring at a nearby wall, most likely going through shock. Rythian was pacing through the house in what Duncan assumed was his way of coping while he thought about something. Whatever it was, Duncan could tell was making the teen more frustrated by the second.

Duncan paused briefly. He couldn’t tell if what he was about to do was smart or just plain stupid. Shrugging it off the blonde swiftly, and rather loudly cleared his throat, to catch the attention of the other teens. It worked perfectly as Zoey’s head whipped to face and Rythian stop pacing rather abruptly to face him.

“Uhm, it has come to my attention that we need to get out of here,” Duncan paused, not sure how to continue. Rythian had begun turning back to his thoughts. Duncan could see he was loosing their attention as he scrambled for some words.

“Before you go and blow me off, I think I may have a way to stop these Zombies from spreading...” That got their attention. Zoey seemed to stand up and Rythian seemed to eye him more carefully.

“As you both know, I’m an intern at-,” This was where Duncan was promptly cut off by a very angry Rythian.

“Yeah, we both know where you work. Why don’t you try not being a selfish douche for five seconds and get to why Sci-corp is relevant and why we should even trust you.” Duncan waited a few moments before he continued, albeit now much more weary in his word choice.

“Well, the big project the company has been working on lately is a supposed ‘vaccine’ for cancer. Yesterday was supposed to be the first day for human trials but that same day I also stumbled across something rather odd.” He paused a moment as he tried to think of a way to continue.

“I got a page saying one of the computers on the medical floor was broken so I immediately went up. However the floor was completely empty… I was curious so I made my way to the end of the floor’s hallway and the door was slightly open…. I went into the room and… I… I saw so much blood….” Duncan stopped as he let the words sink into everyone’s heads. Rythian was the first one to speak up.

“So you think something was wrong with the vaccine. It turned those people into those things outside and is somehow spreading?” Duncan nodded but Zoey quickly piped up with her own question.

“How does it spread?” Duncan had a rather simple answer to this.

“The news station broadcast this morning. They say the radio host got bitten by something. I’m guessing it’s transferred through broken skin when a person is bitten.” Duncan stood silently as he let them digest the information they had received. The only sounds were the uneven bangs coming from the walls off the home. There were more now than before. The house wouldn’t last much longer.

“What do you need us for?” Duncan snapped out of his worries at the sudden question coming from the unlikely Rythian.

“I need you to help me get to Sci-corp so I can figure out a reverse to the vaccine. I won’t survive getting there alone. If you ever want to return things back to normal, I'm going to need your help. I wouldn’t be asking if I really didn’t need it.” There was more brief silence as Duncan’s words sunk in and Rythian tried to determine if they were lies or not. Rythian and Zoey share a brief glance before they both nod in some sort of silent agreement.

“Alright, we’ll help you Duncan,” Zoey says softly before Rythian adds his own warning onto her words.

“We are only helping you though, because we both want everything back to normal.” Duncan nodded at this before turning towards the front door of Zoey’s home. He quickly took out three pairs of long gloves and handed them each one set.

“These should protect us against minor scratches just don’t let them bite you.”

“Also,” Duncan handed them both a taser like gun before continuing his explanation of what they were, “these can stun them momentarily for up to 3 seconds so you can get away. Don’t use it too often though. It’s solar charged and takes time to warm up.” Both teens nodded as they made their way to the door. Rythian stopped with his hand grasping the knob.

“Are both of you ready?” Receiving soft agreements in reply, the mage took a deep break and opened the door…

* * *

“Quick barricade the door! Make sure it’s sealed up tight!”

“Duncan! Quick! Get to the computer! This won’t hold them for long. Download anything you can!”

“Come on dammit! Can’t you download any faster?! I should have rewired you while I had the chance.”

“It won’t hold much longer!”

“It’s done! Quick…”

“Wait… What’s this?”

All three teens watch a video begin to play. It hadn’t been with the rest of the files. In fact, it had only appeared once all the files had been transferred onto the flash drive currently in Duncan’s hand. They remained as silent as they could too hear the video that just began to play.

A short stout man appeared on the screen. His hair was grey and balding but he seemed to still have a young perk to his step. He reminded the three teens watching of the favorite professor you would have in college that you held up contact with. His face was worried however and he soon began to explain why.

“If you are watching this all the files on the new vaccine have been transferred somewhere else. The only reason one would do that is if they had no time to sit and read them here. This video only turns on when all other systems are shut off during an emergency lockdown. Before you leave however I must share some information that was too important to write down in a document.” He paused as if trying to word something that sounded completely crazy in his head.

“The cancer vaccine that is currently being made in Sci-corp is un-finished. Do not let them administer it to anyone! No one believed me when I came across an odd anomaly in the vaccine. They pushed me aside and said I was just worried. They have no idea how wrong they are.” The zombies continued scratching at the door. They were minutes from breaking through.

“If it ever comes down to everyone becoming infected I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Please. I have put down the ingredients needed to make a cure for the vaccine. I have hidden it in the documents you have downloaded. Break the codes and cure everyone.” From this point on the video began to get fuzzy, breaking off at parts before eventually ending to constant static.  

“Please. If you don’t-bzzt. I fe-bzt. the wo-bzzz may end…. BZZT,” the video broke off into a constant screen of static. Suddenly the scratching turned into a loud cracking noise. The three kids didn’t have time to think much about the video or what might have happened to the man in it. They had to get out before they got in. By the creaking coming from the door, that wasn’t too long either.

“To the fire escape now!” Duncan managed to yell as the three teens ran past arms crawling their way between parts of the barricade. They had no time to be happy. Yes, they had found a cure, but that would be no use to anybody if they died with it here. They had to get out of here. To a place where they could stay safe for awhile and make the cure. They didn’t care where that place could be, they just needed to get there alive.

They just didn’t know how hard that simple task could actually be. After all, fighting zombies is one thing. Fight other human beings? That’s a whole other problem on it’s own. A problem the three teens weren’t expecting anytime soon…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 4 Preview:**  
>  There weren’t many places left in Minecraftia that could in any way be considered “safe.” By the time they escaped the tall skyscraper of Sci-corp, most of the town was already devoid of life. The only living things left seemed to be the remaining abominations of the less fortunate. The people who had just been living the day before had either fled or died trying.
> 
> At first Rythian had tried hiding the horrors from Zoey’s sight by covering her eyes when they passed by lifeless bodies or ominous pools of red. However soon these sights were too numerous to hide and Rythian gave up upon Zoey’s eventual convincing. None of them had any particular destination in mind. They just walked on hoping to find a place where they could eventually rest...


	4. Corruption and Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It started out as a typical boring Saturday for the three high school students. Duncan went to his weekend internship while Zoey spent the morning getting Rythian up and out of his bed. Yes, everything was absolutely normal until science went wrong an the world began ending quicker than the three teens could fight it. Rythian Enderborn, Zoey Proasheck and Duncan Jones were sent spiraling into what everyone called the Apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 4 is finally out! I would like to personally thank all the people who left a kudos and review. I always seemed to get them right when I was about to give of because of my writers block. Because of you guys I was finally able to finish this chapter AND get my inspiration back!. Expect chapter 5 soon guys! Also, please remember to leave a review if you spot any errors. I still don't have a beta-reader that can edit my chapters before I post them. Thanks again and without further ado, I give you chapter 5, Corruption and Confusion!

“Please. If you don’t-bzzt. I fe-bzt the wor-bzzz may end…. BZZT,” the video ended, breaking off into a constant stream of static. The scratching at the door only got louder. The three kids didn’t have time to think much about the video or what might have happened to the man in it. They had to get out of the building before they gained more company than they wanted. The increasing noise from the door only seemed to quicken their countdown. It wouldn’t be long before the grotesque creatures made their way in.

“To the fire escape now,” Duncan managed to yell as the three teens ran past the squirming limbs coming through the barricade. They had no time to be happy about their accomplishments or sad about the man who gave them the means to do so. The kids had found their salvation but it would all be for nothing if they didn’t make it out of there alive. The three teens had to get somewhere safe so the could make the cure. They had to.

There weren’t many places left in Minecraftia that could in any way be considered “safe.” By the time they escaped the tall skyscraper of Enigma Corp, most of the town was already devoid of life. The only living things left seemed to be the remaining abominations of the less fortunate. The people who had just been living the day before had either fled or died trying.

At first Rythian had tried hiding the horrors from Zoey’s sight by covering her eyes when they passed by lifeless bodies or ominous pools of red. However soon these sights were too numerous to hide and Rythian gave up upon Zoey’s eventual convincing. None of them had any particular destination in mind. They just walked on hoping to find a place where they could eventually rest.

They needed to make the cure that was softly nestled in Duncan’s bag. The group didn't seem to notice that their minds were subconsciously urging them towards a place that was probably the closest thing to a safe house they could muster. No one noticed till they found themselves facing a very tall locked gate that lead to a very fancy neighborhood of apartment complexes.

The group halted, two of them realizing where they were. The fence they were facing was very tall. In fact, Duncan could see that it was even too tall for the zombies to make it over. Beyond the fence streets were not stained with blood or dirtied with bodies. However, it was obvious there was no life beyond the tall metal barrier.

Rythian pulled some sort of keycard from his pocket and waved it over the lock sealing the gate. A soft click was heard before the gate swung open for them to enter and closed once they had all walked inside. A soft click was heard behind them and then the three teens seemed to sigh in relief they were safe for now. The gates would hold up well enough to get them started on the cure. They would just need to make their way to Rythian’s apartment first. It wasn’t long before they did.

* * *

The world seemed to blur past the lonely mage as he and his companions made their way to his apartment. He had long given up hiding the innocent red head from seeing the smears of color and grey bodies that littered the streets. How they had not run into any more creatures was a mystery, a mystery that the teens didn’t want an answer to. They weren’t trying to kill them, which was all that mattered.

As they neared his apartment Rythian began noticing the concerned glances Zoey was giving him. It took him all they way until he reached the steps to his complex to understand why he was receiving the glances. All too quickly the haze lifted from his mind and he realized why Zoey look so concerned. He had left all his magic related items strewn about his home after his last lessons with Zoey. He hadn’t expected to bring their resident Bill Nye the Science guy anywhere near his home today let alone inside it.

Rushing up the steps he unlocked his home while Zoey hurried after him. Duncan hadn’t expected the sudden burst of energy as he struggled to start moving more quickly. Just as he reached the top of the steps Zoey stepped in front of the door to make an excuse while Rythian quickly shoved suspicious objects in places they didn’t belong.

“It will just be a moment Duncan. Rythian and I have to clean up a bit and then you can come in.” The teen genius opened his mouth to protest but was abruptly cut off by the door slamming in his face. The purple-eyed mage watched Zoey give one more concerned glance towards the door before helping him clean up the magical mess in his home.

“He’ll be fine Zoey. No Zombies have gotten in and if he’s in danger I’ll let him in,” he said reassuringly to the worried red head. He would’ve liked nothing better but to leave him out there but he knew she would never let him do it. She was funny like that. He used to be one angry person until she came along. He hated everyone. After all, didn’t he have a right to after what they did?

He sure thought so until she fell into his life. For some reason whenever he was around her, he couldn’t for the life of him feel angry. He could only be happy about her presence in his life and he had to admit, it felt pretty nice.

“Hey Rythian? Why do you hate Duncan so much?” The question, though innocent, made the hairs on the mage’s neck stand on end. Was hate really the word that best described his relationship with the annoying blonde? He didn’t have an answer to that question. He had a right to hate Duncan for what he did. Didn’t he?

“What do you mean,” he asked trying to distract himself. He couldn’t risk slipping into the memories he had tried so hard to lock away. He didn’t deserve what they had done but he could never get rid of the feeling deep down, he DID deserve it.

Her eyes softened. She had caught the pained grimace that had graced his face for only a few seconds. Damn… He had never told anyone why he hated Duncan and his friends so much. He had been bullied into not saying anything when he was younger. Now that he was older, it didn’t matter much but he still had trouble thinking about it.

He was asked about the event that had transpired that day here and there. People had eventually gotten the memo when he gave no answer anytime he was asked. He didn’t trust anyone enough to tell them. It was an answer you had to earn.

“You know what I mean. I know you’ve been asked before and I know you never answer. You don’t have to give me one either. I’ll understand.” She smiled warmly at him as she spoke but deep down Rythian didn’t feel like he deserved it. If he did then why would they have treated him like they had? Flashes of old memories that had been burned into his mind swam through his mind. He gripped the table harder as he tried to push them away.

He didn’t succeed. Old leather bound book with stars embroidered on it, an old rickety swing set that was no longer standing, and a large tree that he had spent most of his childhood in. All of these images flashed through his head and he didn’t like them. He wanted to tell her what was tormenting him in his mind. He really wanted to tell her but he was worried. He was worried that she would push him away after he told her. That she would leave and hurt him just like they had in his past.

Zoey quickly picked up his sudden change as she put the last book away. She could tell he wanted to finally answer the question that nobody usually got an answer to. Something was stopping him though as he gripped the chair ever harder. Finally, he gave in. She, more than anyone, had earned the right to know his whole story.

“Yeah I know what you mean… Duncan will be fine outside for now. Why don’t I tell you how we met and what happened after we did…”

* * *

Rythian Enderborn was only ten when his life started changing in rather weird ways. It started out as small things, stuff that normally wouldn’t be noticed by the people around him. When he got frustrated items around him would lightly rumble as if they were getting ready to burst like a volcano.

Sometimes, if he was really upset, items would slide across nearby tables or other flat surfaces. Being only ten at the time you could say Rythian was a little freaked out but when he finally gained the courage to tell his parents, they wouldn’t believe him.so he shrugged it off as maybe tiny earthquakes that only he seemed worried about.

However, soon it began getting worse. Objects wouldn’t stay in their spots anymore. Objects began flinging themselves across his room. Sometimes they would break things and sometimes they would leave dents in his walls. He packed all his fragile possessions in boxes after this. Rythian still just took it in stride. He eventually convinced himself that the house was haunted, although he knew deep down that he was the one haunting it.

As he slipped further and further into denial the occurrences only seemed to get worse. When he was annoyed his surroundings would grow cold without his consent. When he was depressed the shadows would writhe with interest in his pain. The worst was when he was angry though, lights would flicker and sometimes things would catch on fire. After a couple of weeks his room was covered in glass, blankets, lights, and scorch marks. No one would notice though, no one ever did. Eventually, he got the hint. He was alone, or at least, he almost was…

Before his life began spinning out of control he had only one friend. The fellow boy’s name happened to be Duncan Jones and they were as close as any friends could be. They did everything together and that included sharing secrets. They had been inseparable since the day they had met but who could blame them? They had similar backgrounds. They both knew what it was like to be bullied for being outcasts. So, when the magic started up who better else to vent his troubles too? Some gut feeling stopped him however. He had a guess that he wasn’t ready to tell Duncan anything yet. Something told him that his only friend could get hurt if he did. So Rythian did the most logical thing, he listened to his conscious.

They were best friends in every way and Rythian never wanted to hurt Duncan. So he cut off all ties with the boy. Once he discovered how dangerous his powers could be, he didn’t want to risk anything. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he hurt his best friend. No matter how much he didn’t want to do it he knew it was for the better. He would tell everything to Duncan after he got everything under control. Until then, he was stuck in his room reading and practicing. Duncan would understand once he knew everything. Rythian knew he would.

So when he was finally kicked out of his parent’s home one October morning Rythian wasn't too surprised. He had finally mastered all of the more dangerous aspects of his abilities. He was finally ready to tell Duncan everything. Just before he had left, he had called Duncan’s house telling him he would like to meet at the park. Even though no one picked up he knew that his friend had gotten the message. He wasn’t too surprised to find out that he had arrived first when he saw the empty park. With a sigh he made his way further into the clearing that surrounded the playground, his only possession being a large leather bound book.

It was a spell book he had found in his parents attic one day while he was practicing getting his pyrokinesis under control. He didn’t know why his parents had such a book but by the look of the thing it was probably some heirloom that was passed down through his family. This had actually made him smile for the first time in a month. He knew then that he wasn’t alone in his troubles. A smile slithered its way on his face before he wiped it off with a huff. The cold air making it visible as the vapor spiraled in the air. Beautiful…

Getting slightly bored, he walked over to the tallest oak tree in the park. Rythian had always loved the thing. It had just the right placement of notches to climb up into branches. It was very old too, probably over three hundred years if Rythian had to guess. He loved reading in this tree because he felt as if the tree was protecting him while he read it a story. It was like and old man that loved hearing its grandkids as they grew up and shared more interesting stories. It had seen a lot of things in its time and it was still standing strong. Rythian admired its strength as it’s read leaves seemed to hug him like a loving mother. It was a comforting spot.

Rythian didn’t even have a chance to open his book before he felt something hit his foot. He looked down from his branch as he focused in on the source with excitement. He had so much to tell and show Duncan. However, when he looked down he noticed that his friend wasn’t alone. There were two other boys on either side of him. Rythian’s excitement turned into confusion. He had not been expecting other people to come. This could be a problem…

The child mage was quickly pulled out of his concerns however when another stone hit him. This time however, it was in the face. The sudden force made him quickly lose his balance and he fell to the grassy hill below. He could feel instantly feel the bruise forming as he groaned.

However, before he could get up, a foot was stomped on his back, trapping him on the ground. He tried to look up at his bullies but more rocks were thrown at him. These one’s being heavier and sharper too. He heard mischievous laughter as he grunted in pain. He didn’t know what was going on. Why were they hurting him and why was Duncan just watching? That’s when he heard a familiar voice…

“Come on Sjin. Just leave him alone. Look he’s already miserable. There’s no point in beating him up. Ignoring him would probably work better.” The voice was obviously Duncan’s despite how Rythian couldn’t actually see the blonde. Though, why was he not defending him like he usually did?

“D-duncan? What’s going on,” he asked, voicing his thoughts to his friend. He was promptly kicked in the side and told to shut up however, instead of getting a reply. The conversation between Sjin and Duncan once again continued as if he was here bleeding from various cuts on his body.

“Shut up Duncan! Don’t tell me you’re defending this freak? Did you forget how he dropped you like you were something rotten? He ignored you Duncan! For months! I could have started bullying you with no one to watch your back but I didn’t! I took pity on you and became your friend. No one messes with you anymore. You’re friends with me now, not him, so act more like it!”

The puzzle pieces finally click into place while a moment of silence stretched on. Duncan wasn’t his friend anymore. He could never tell him the reason why he couldn’t talk. Not without running the risk of Sjin and Sips finding out too. He was alone… So utterly, stupidly alone…

Then the beating started… Rocks were smashed into him with a mixture of fists and shoes. He screamed in pain even though he knew no one would save him. The pain was unbearable as rocks sliced into his face and stomach. It wasn’t too long before he couldn’t see due to the blood flowing steadily down his face.

Just as though he thought he was going to pass out, it stopped. No words were spoken as he was dragged behind the tree and left there. Dry grass crunching under his attacker’s feet as they walked away laughing. He couldn’t see… He couldn’t breathe… He couldn’t feel anything but pain… He was dying…

A part of him just wanted to let go but a part of him didn’t. He thought about all he could miss if he just gave up and he couldn’t do it. However, there was nothing he could do to save himself. There were no adults around for a good distance… No kids were playing nearby to help him. He was nothing but alone. He had no choice but to give up.

That’s when his hand felt something hard and made of leather, his spell book. Reaching with all his strength he pulled the book closer and wiped the blood away from his eyes. He flipped to the only healing spell in the book and began reciting the incantation. He didn’t bother reading the side effects he just needed to live.

The pain got one hundred times worse once he uttered the last word. He let out a shrill animalistic screech as he felt his body rip from every angle. Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. He opened his eyes once again to find that he was no longer in the park. Instead he was somewhere pitch black yet illuminated in some way that he could still technically see. When he looked up he saw a terrifying creature.

There was something that looked like a man yet wasn’t. Its skin was scaly like a lizards’ yet it’s face and body was the shape of a man. The only other thing about it was its size. It’s legs where twice the normal size they should have been as well as it’s arms. The thing that terrified him the most however was its mouth. It spanned the whole length of its face and held thousands of knives like teeth cable of killing anything.

To say Rythian was scared, would be a complete understatement. Its mouth opened further and for a second the purple-eyed mage though he was going to be eaten before s slither of words came out of its mouth.

“My name issss Gorathsss… You uttered a sssspell mossssst sssstay away from. It wassss a normal healing sssspell but you were too late in your utterancccce of it. You have a choicccce now. You can either die and go to whatever afterworld you believe in or you can sssign a contract with me and live.  However, I warn you, if you ssssign a contract with me you will have a curssssse placccced on you. After twenty-five yearsss you will turn into the sssspecies I am apart of. You will never die once you sign your ssssssoul over to become one of my kind. What is your choiccccce?”

Rythian was dumbstruck he didn’t know what to choose. He wanted to live but if he did that means he would eventually turn into this creature. He didn’t know what to do… Then his life flashed before his eyes. Whether that was the monster’s doing or the fact he was running out of time, he didn’t know. He did know however that he wasn’t ready to die at all.

“I want to live.” The monster nodded and extended his hand. A claw cut his arm and it caught some of the blood. It licked it off it’s and then cut itself. Purple blood smeared on its hand it extended it back to Rythian.

“Drink,” it said simply and that’s exactly what Rythian did. Then just as if he had been dreaming he woke up in the grass with no wounds. Smiling he ran back to his home, leather book in tow. Running to his room Rythian went straight to his room to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He wanted to make sure his wounds weren’t there.

He almost screamed when he looked though. He wasn’t dreaming at all because the face looking back at him was his but the black scars stretching up his neck and across his face were definitely new. He had signed a contract he just hadn’t know it would start spreading so fast…

* * *

Zoey had wondered why Rythian had always been such an introverted type of person. She had never expected this to be the reason however. As Rythian continued his recollection of the events that had made he so hateful Zoey began to understand. Rythian had every right to hate them as much as he did. He had every right to hurt them back as well but he never did. She wondered why that was…

After he answered her question she moved in closer to give him a hug. He stiffened at first like a wild animal deciding if it needed to choose fight or flight before he relaxed in her arms. He didn’t deserve what had happened to him. Even though she knew what his curse meant she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to let him turn into a monster nor was she going to let him die. They were going to stop this zombie problem together and then they were going to find a way to fix him too.

Duncan could just go screw himself for all she cared. Her and Rythian were going to be okay. They would live through this! She wouldn’t let any other outcome come true. She wouldn’t because she cared for the purple-eyed mage and she knew he did too. They were going to be all right. Finally, Zoey let go of Rythian before giving him a small smile.

“Rythian you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. I will never hurt you like they did and I won’t let them do that again either. I care about you okay?” He nodded silently and her smile grew larger. She walked over to the sliding bookshelf that lead out of his secret study and into his normal one. Duncan was probably freaking out on the porch. Knowing him he probably thought they had gotten eaten or were leaving him out to die. She wished she could have left him out there but he was the only one adept enough in the science realm to crack the code for the cure…

“Why don’t we let Duncan inside? I think we’ve punished him enough. He’s probably a nervous wreck on the porch. I can make us all lunch after he’s inside,” she said lightly. She knew that he didn’t want Duncan in the house but they needed him. She would have much rather set him on fire then let him in. Rythian needed positive encouragement right now and Duncan wasn’t considered anything close to it.

“Alright I’ll be right there.” Zoey smiled more brightly. At least he was trying to talk. He was trying to be strong even though Zoey had caught the wetness in his eyes.

Yeah they may be going through some trials right now but they’d make it through. She knew they would be cause they always did. They would always have each other's backs. After all, she loved him too much to see him get hurt...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 3 Preview:**  
>  Duncan was definitely feeling unwelcome in Rythian’s apartment. He sat at the apartment’s kitchen table nibbling on a turkey sandwich while a certain Enderborn glared holes in the front of his head. Uncomfortable? That word couldn’t even begin to describe how Duncan felt sitting in the apartment of someone who would probably much rather have him dead. Yeah, uncomfortable didn’t even scratch the surface... 
> 
> The worst part is Duncan didn’t even know why Rythian hated him so much. Sure, he had bullied him when he was younger and sure he had turned on him but that happened to millions of kids at that age. How could he hold a grudge for this long?


	5. Science Cures and Magic Disasters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to chapter five of my fanfiction "Worse Than A Cure." A lot has happened in my life since my last update five months ago. I've started my second semester as junior in high school. I've had some bad grades and then some good grades after that. I've also helped my friend make and Amy Rose Costume for an upcoming convention. 
> 
> I will be attending it with her as she may be entering in the Cosplay contest. The convention is called Anime Crossroads and is next weekend from the 20th to the 21st. I may also be cosplaying Rythian one of those days too. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait and I hope you find it all worth it. Please leave a kudos or a comment if you do!

Duncan was definitely feeling unwelcome in Rythian's apartment. Ever since he had been let in, the atmosphere of the place had been off. Zoey kept on giving him glances of sorrow as she had started making lunch. On top of that, Rythian had entered the room soon after with a scowl and had not stopped glaring at him since. Saying that Duncan was merely "uncomfortable" did nothing to justify his feelings. There were no words for how out of place he felt as he awkwardly nibbled on his lunch. Yeah, "uncomfortable" didn't even scratch the surface...

Upon entering the apartment, he had expected the glares from at least Rythian but now Zoey was giving him pitiful looks as well. As far as he could tell, he had done nothing wrong. The whole walk had been silent up until they had reached Rythian's porch. He didn’t have any idea as to why he deserved the behavior he was receiving from either of them.

Sure he had bullied Rythian when they were kids but that had been years ago. Sjin and Sips had bullied him back then as well too. Duncan had grown up however. He no longer held it against them, after all they were now in high school. It was ridiculous to keep such a grudge for so long. They had been children and that's what children did. They picked on one another.  It wasn’t like he was the only one either. Bullying was an aspect of children's lives all over the world. Surely something that worldwide wouldn’t warrant the life long hatred Rythian held towards him? Right?

Surely Rythian was just overreacting... Which was true unless there was something more to the equation... Was he missing a piece to the puzzle he had supposedly solved years ago? The feeling of dread hit him like a pile of bricks. For once in his life, had Duncan actually made a mistake? It was hard for him to think about. He was smart, very smart and all his life Duncan had always been called a genius. The prospect of making an error when it came to analyzing anything did not sit well with him. What had he missed that was important enough to justify Rythian's behavior for so long?

He pondered the question for a few moments but quickly shut it down. He couldn't have made a mistake. It wasn't possible... So, why did it feel like he had made one? The thought chilled his body to the bone. There was no way he had made a mistake though. Rythian must have just snapped one day from the bullying and his broken mind must have placed the blame on him. That had to be it.

He never made any mistakes after all; he was too smart to make them. He was a genius; the smartest ever born in Mincraftia and the youngest person ever to get a job at Enigma Corp. There was no way he could have missed something so important. It was impossible but still an option whether Duncan liked it or not. Thankfully, once he had finished his lunch, he had plenty to keep his mind busy. Cracking the cure's code was one very appreciated distraction.

He began pulling out his packed equipment with a new burst of energy. He quickly set up each tool neatly on the nearby kitchen table. Two sets of eyes watched his precise movements from the living room with individual looks of anger and intrigue. The apartment was silent besides the occasional clink of equipment. All the while, Duncan was trying very hard to ignore the cold stares coming from the room's two other occupants.

Once everything was in its place, he removed the documents that contained the cure from his bag. He was going to scan them through his computer's code cracking software so they could actually read what was needed of them.

The software he was using had actually been made by him to crack through his rival's coded documents in Enigma Corp. It was an expert at every code breaking method known to man. His motto was that it was always better to know more about his competition than they knew about him. He was just glad that it he had brought the system along.

He slowly fed the documents through the machine, making sure that they scanned neatly. He didn't want the computer to misread something and crack the wrong type of code. As soon as that was finished, he had time to spare while the computer worked it's magic. Looking at his stun-gun he decided that an upgrade for it was in order. His recent run in with the undead at Enigma-Corp had made him aware of a few flaws in his weapon.

The zombies were unusually fast, compared to how horror movies usually depicted them. The type of stun gun Duncan had shot wires that would attach to the target and administer the shock. This had been a great feature in theory until he had actually used it. The wire's five feet length was far too short of a distance to keep him safe. Opening the gun's siding Duncan got to work on adding some distance to it range and possibly bumping of the voltage as well.

The computer whirred with work beside him as Duncan cut and rearranged the circuits and wires of his only weapon. A rainbow of plastic covered copper spilled over the edges of the invention as he precisely reattached each one to its new home. The soft murmur of a TV registered vaguely in his mind but he gave no attention towards it. He stayed focused on his work as the minutes soon turned into passing hours.

The whirring continued and the wires kept rearranging until a soft, “bing,” finally pulled Duncan from his mathematical thoughts. The computerized ring lightly signaled that the code had finally been cracked and that Duncan was one-step closer to being free from Rythian's gloomy apartment. He quickly shoved away the mass of wires that he was holding so he could pull his laptop closer. It was finally time to analyze what was needed to cure all the monstrous zombies in town.

Despite not hearing or seeing any for a good while they were still out there and very willing to kill. He didn't want to keep pushing what little luck they had left. He glanced at his weapon and momentarily thought of finishing it but quickly opted to reading the cure first. Rythian’s apartment complex was fenced in so he had plenty of time to finish his weapon later. The cure for mankind definitely was more important than his measly stun gun.

Buzzing with excitement he blonde hastily settled down and began reading the formulas that his computer had displayed on its screen. The more he read however, the more Duncan silently had to admit that the paranoid man he had seen on that Enigma Corp screen was undoubtedly smart. Unknown to the entirety of the company he worked for, this man had added a chemical back door to their vaccine. It was a genius move and admittedly something Duncan would never have thought of.

The vaccine had been altered at a chemical level to allow a complete reversal of its effects when mixed with the right substances. However, had hadn’t stopped there. Not only had he added a back door that could be unlocked with certain chemicals but the chemicals needed happened to be ones that could readily be found in any home during an apocalypse. However, the most interesting part of the cure happened to be how someone went about receiving it. Radio waves slightly altered the cure's chemical make-up so it could spread further and be more effective.

As suddenly as the blonde had read that, he recalled the news he had heard that morning. The sudden dark irony also reminded him again as to why he hated his high school English class. What was more ironic than ending the infection right where it had begun? What an idiot Duncan truly was… All this time Duncan had thought he was the genius of Minecraftia while the true genius of this town worked twenty floors above him. He scoffed lightly at himself as he pushed his laptop away and moved his chemical equipment closer. Sadly, now was not the time for him to sulk. After all, there was still a cure that needed to be made…

* * *

Rythian was a very different person after literally dying at the hands of his best friend. Death had the amazing quality of changing people that it touched. Sometimes it was for the better and sometimes it was for the worst. Rythian happened to fall in the later category. The first few weeks after dying and subsequently coming back to life, he had been in shock. He didn't talk to anyone, not that anyone had anything to say to him. He even refused to go to school when his break finally ended.

It of course worried his parents but not enough for them to do anything. They didn't care what he did as long as it wasn't illegal. Sometimes when he was alone, Rythian would sit down and whisper a prayer to whatever deity that was listening. He would pray and ask for his parents to start loving him. Though, as always, his prayers were never listened to or answered.

He was alone in the world for those few weeks, but at the time, he didn't want to acknowledge it. Instead he just threw himself into his magical studies. He become ever more determined to master every spell he found and he convinced himself that he didn't need any friends to do it. He didn't need anyone.

Years passed by with each one causing Rythian to retreat farther and farther into his reclusive rage. Yet, as always, not a soul bothered to notice. By age fifteen he had mastered more than sixty books worth of spells but hadn’t stopped there. Once he and his peers entered junior high he quickly went from being bullied to avoided. He was no longer "fairy boy" to his classmates but someone who was feared and left alone due to the vicious aura he constantly gave off. They were scared of his blank eyes and permanent scowl and they had every right to be.

They had no idea how many violent and painful spells he could cast on them. Sometimes, when he was having a terrible day he would imagine the results those spells would have on enemies’ bodies. If only they knew the pain that they could cause. Duncan’s new friends might have shortened his life when they were kids, but now, at any moment, he could easily shorten theirs as well.

"Rythhhiiaannn... Rythhhhiiaannnnn..." The shadows in his room grew and darkened as his name was whispered from an unknown location. The purple-eyed teen took a breath knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid this conversation. No one could escape his or her own mind after all.

"What," he asked the empty room knowing full well that it wasn't entirely empty. At least it wasn't empty to him. It was a different story for anyone else however. No one beside himself could see the shadows enlarge as he walked past or even the ones that seemed to follow him. He was on a different plane from everyone else and those things were there with him.

As if she knew he was thinking of her, the shadows in the room seemed to enlarge and darken. A figure then began to peel itself from the grim wall until it stood in front him will all its horrible height. His Enderman was here again to bother him with who knew what...

"You are angry my dear... If you hate them that much why not simply kill them? That way you could stop distracting yourself with the mere temptation of it," she said with her raspy voice that sounded much like the dripping gurgle of a broken sink. She always knew his every temptation, good or bad. They were connected for eternity and eventually, he would turn into the same monstrous creature. It just hadn't yet found the right string to yank that would cause him to cave in.

"You know I am smarter than that. I thought you were going to try harder this time," he teased. She never liked it when he did that. She was powerless over the mage’s life but that never stopped her from trying. She glared at him before giving a slimy grin that seemed to split her face in two. Her teeth appeared viciously with all their deadly might. It was her teeth that always scared him the most. Mainly because he would soon have the same monstrosity for a mouth. It was only a matter of time.

"Yes, you are smart but one of these days you will give into me. I will welcome to you time my world and you will become our newest sibling of darkness. The changes have already started and I know that you have noticed them. I don't have much longer to wait so enjoy your humanity while you still have it." With that the creature melted back into the shadows and his room seemed to brighten once again.

Rushing over to the mirror he pulled down the collar of his turtleneck, revealing the black lines that snaked their way up his skin. They had started on his chest and had slowly made their way up his body as the years had passed since the fateful day he had died. They were dark and crooked looking, worthy of the curse that they entailed. He traced them as he looked in the mirror. That demon was right... He didn't have much time left...

He quickly yanked the collar of his shirt back up and hoped that the few dark lines poking out were still not noticeable. He needed to find a way to reverse the curse but he would soon find out this it was much easier said than done. Rythian spent the rest of his weekend trying everything he could find. Nothing worked as those three days turned into passing weeks and then years. He could find nothing...

* * *

"Aaaiiieeeeeeeeee!"

Rythian's eyes snapped open as he bolted upright. His peaceful nap on his sofa was over. Something was wrong. The sudden sound of glass shattering made him shoot towards his studies’ door. He yanked it open with such force that he nearly pulled it off its hinges. Stepping into his living room he looked towards the kitchen and saw something that froze his soul. The scene he was met with was something straight out of his nightmares.

Duncan was up against the wall of the kitchen frozen in fear. A mess of colorful wires was in one of his hands. It only took Rythian a couple seconds to figure out that it was his stun gun. His other hand held a large corked vial protectively to his chest. It had to be the cure.

That wasn't what made this scene so horrific however. What froze him in place however was what he saw when he turned his head slightly to the left. Time seemed to stop as Rythian took in what he saw. Glass was scattered all over the floor near his sliding back door and a cold dread that was growing in his stomach.

A monstrous creature stood grimly on the porch and was limping its way in.  The monster’s face was slightly rotting where bite marks had torn off parts of its face. Standing directly in front of it, terrified, was the most important thing in his universe. Zoey Proasheck  was a few seconds away from being bitten and killed. He had to save her but then he briefly remembered the other occupant of the room. Duncan was there and he couldn't use his magic in front of him.

Then, when he looked back at the only person who ever care about him, he saw the pleading eyes. They begged for him to help and in that moment he didn't care anymore. Zoey was his world and whatever grudge he still held towards Duncan was not worth her life. He was the only one who could save her.

Time seemed to feel like an eternity as he rushed towards the monster on his porch. His mind was void of any thoughts, just feelings and instinct. Her eyes had brought out that primal urge to protect, the same urge that had caused them to meet. His Zoey would not die today. He wouldn't let her.

When he finally reached the door he let out all his pent up rage. He let loose all his magic. The monster in front of him turned into all the things he hated and feared in life and he was going to destroy it. Dark purple flames enveloped his body as he slammed the monster into the cold ground. It burned as he bashed it into the furniture of his kitchen again and again.

He didn’t think as the flames enveloped the body and turned it into an unrecognizable corpse. The life had obviously left it but in his rage he didn’t notice. He continued until the body was well past being recognizable. That is, until a small hand grabbed his arm just as he was about to slam the body into the ground once more.

As quickly as it had started he stopped and the body fell with a thud. The flames receded and his consciousness came back. Zoey stood in front of him with tears in her eyes. Behind her stood Duncan who was trembling with fear. Rythian thought back to the memories he had remembered in his sleep earlier. His Enderman was right. He was going to lose his humanity eventually, it had only been a matter of time. He just wished there had been more of it.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," his lips uttered before his vision failed and he collapsed partially from exhaustion and partially from a broken heart. Zoey was never supposed to see him like that… She was never supposed to see how terribly similar he and the monsters outside happened to be. He let the darkness sweep over him and hoped that he wouldn’t have to wake up.

He knew when he opened his eyes next the lines that wrapped around his body would be poking out from under his scarf. His mouth would be further gnarled with black curling scars and he would have even less time to live. His consciousness was taking it last breaths as he thought briefly of a fairytale Zoey had forced him to watch once. If he recalled correctly the name of it had been Beauty and the Beast…

* * *

_“Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold._

_Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.  And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress._

_The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there.  Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world._

_The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.  As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 6 Preview:**  
>  “Zoey,” the warm voice of a mother called from the living room. However, the girl that the name belonged to paid little attention to it being used. She was too busy playing with her mushroom figurines to hear anything besides the words that only she seemed to hear. It was King Berry's eighteenth birthday and he would finally become the ruler of his mushroom kingdom. Whoever was calling her could wait.
> 
> “Zoey," the loud voice called with more urgency now. With a sigh Zoey realized that her mother wasn't in the mood to wait for her so she needed to move quickly. If she did, she had the possibility of getting back to the ceremony before she was needed to crown Barry. Whispering her intentions to Berry's soon to be Queen, Princess Rose, she quickly left to go see what her mother needed her badly for.
> 
> “Yes Mum,” she asked upon finding her mother sitting on the couch in their home's living room. As she walked in her father looked up from his watch to stare into his daughter's face. He was sitting in his favorite reclining chair, which was just left of the couch. He however, was not reclined in the comfy chair like he normally was when he sat in it. Instead his feet were sitting firmly on the ground.
> 
> “Mum? Dad? What's wrong?” Zoey asked as she slowly became more and more worried. The aura of the room was tense and as thick as the maple syrup she had put on her pancakes this morning. Something was obviously wrong but she didn't know exactly what it was. She hadn't broken anything lately and her grades were amazing so what had she done to deserve a much hated family meeting?


	6. Fluttering Panic and Questionable Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I'm back! Thank you so much for all the kudos and such. I'm so happy every time I get an email saying that I've gotten another one. This chapter was originally supposed to have sections from both Zoey's and Duncan's POV but Zoey ended having a lot more to say than I originally thought. So, expect lots of surprises from Duncan next chapter. Well, I do really hope you enjoy what I've written so I'll let you get t it. Till next time!

“Zoey,” the warm voice of a mother called from the living room. However, the girl that the name belonged to paid little attention to it being used. She was too busy playing with her mushroom figurines to hear anything besides the words that only she seemed to hear. It was King Berry's eighteenth birthday and he would finally become the ruler of his mushroom kingdom. Whoever was calling her could wait.

“Zoey," the loud voice called with more urgency now. With a sigh Zoey realized that her mother wasn't in the mood to wait for her so she needed to move quickly. If she did, she had the possibility of getting back to the ceremony before she was needed to crown Barry. Whispering her intentions to Berry's soon to be Queen, Princess Rose, she quickly left to go see what her mother needed her badly for.

“Yes Mum,” she asked upon finding her mother sitting on the couch in their home's living room. As she walked in her father looked up from his watch to stare into his daughter's face. He was sitting in his favorite reclining chair, which was just left of the couch. He however, was not reclined in the comfy chair like he normally was when he sat in it. Instead his feet were sitting firmly on the ground.

“Mum? Dad? What's wrong?” Zoey asked as she slowly became more and more worried. The aura of the room was tense and as thick as the maple syrup she had put on her pancakes this morning. Something was obviously wrong but she didn't know exactly what it was. She hadn't broken anything lately and her grades were amazing so what had she done to deserve a much hated family meeting?

“Come and sit down honey,” her mother suddenly asked much too softly, patting the cushion beside her as she spoke. Zoey knew she was supposed to sit down but atmosphere in the room made her reluctant to do so. She hadn't done anything wrong… Had she?

“Am,” she gulped before spitting out the rest of her question, “am I in trouble?”

“Of course not Zoey,” her father said in an unusually calm voice.

“We just want to talk to you about something," he clarified upon seeing his daughter's unsure expression. She eyed her father wearily for a moment but did as he asked. Something definitely was wrong and even though she didn't know what it was, she had a gut feeling it had something to do with her.

Once she was seated her father a mother began to explain why they had called her into the room. Their voices were unusually high and Zoey would swear that her mother had recently been crying. That kept on saying that they loved her and that nothing was her fault. What she had done that 'wasn't at fault' remained a mystery throughout their entire conversation. Suddenly however, a stranger stepped into the living room and with him the entire room froze.

He had on a white medical lab coat that was covered by an uneasily dark trench coat that must have costed a fortune. His sandy blonde hair was mostly hidden by a matching fedora and dark shades. The man's stature and body language screamed of someone who was unreasonably cruel and Zoey knew that instantly disliked him. This was not a man Zoey wanted near her let alone standing in her house.

“Zoeya this is Doctor Jones. He's here to help you. Your therapist suggested him to us after some of your recent sessions with her." Her father had stood to greet the man before promptly taking a seat again. Doctor Jones, as his parents had called him, had quickly taken the last remaining chair to her right upon his introduction to her. There was now nothing blocking the man from getting her and the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"I need help with something,” she asked upon realizing what her father had said. His statement had confused her and she wanted desperately to understand what was going on. Her parents had always said that she was smart for her age but right now she doubted the truth of the statement. She hadn't needed help with her homework or chores for months now. What could she not do herself that the scary man beside her could?

“Yes, honey. You do need help with something,” her mother told her softly, voice wobbling with each word. She quickly turned away; her hands covered her face as Zoey heard the sniffle of a mothers silenced sob.

“Zoey, what your mummy and I are trying to say is that you'll be going on a special vacation for a bit. We won't be going with you so you'll get to have all sorts of fun all on your own. Dr. Jones is merely here to drive you to the airport for us.” The small red headed girl seemed to perk up at this promise but still remained a little weary. Even though she was being promised a fun trip she couldn't shake the feeling that something about her parent's promise was off.

She decided to test the waters a bit, just to make sure her parents were telling the truth. After this entire situation had all happened once before when her parents had promised to be her to the amusement park one day. It was only when they stopped in front of the dentist’s office that she realized where they had actually been heading.

“Why is mummy crying then if I'm just taking a vacation?” All three adults in the room seemed to freeze quickly, making Zoey think she had caught them. However just as quickly as they had all become statues, they all relaxed once again. As soon as they did, her father answered her seemingly simple question.

“Mummy is just sad because you're going to be away for longer than you have before. She is sad because she's going to miss you Zoey.” The small girl eyed the three adults wearily before giving a nod of approval. She was about to get up so she could pack her things but looking in the corner of the room, she realized she didn't have to.

Her green, toadstool print, suitcase was already packed full as it sat ready and eager for an adventure. Zoey, now believing her parent's story paid no mind these facts as she opted to simply grab the case and walk to her home's front door. Her mother was already beside it, holding her daughter's coat. With a smile she took it and quickly put it on.

“Be a good girl now Zoey and don't forget that your Dad and I love you very, very much,” her mother said as she held her daughter's cheek and kissed the red head's forehead. Once her mum had stepped away her father swept her up into a big hug and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

Once she was back down on the ground and all of goodbyes had been said Zoey followed Dr. Jones to his car. Buckling up into her seat she waved to her parents while the car slowly pulled out of her driveway. What Zoey didn't see however, were the crystal tears that fell down the faces of her smiling parents.

Zoey only realized that she might have been lied to when Dr. Jones passed the only two exits leading to the airport. When she had pointed this out he had merely given lopsided excuses. It wasn't like she could do anything about it anyway. She was a child who didn't know how to get home or even how to drive.

An hour later the Doctor Jones finally pulled to a stop. Peering out of the window Zoey's blood froze. Towering in front of her was a gothic style church that had a metal sign of sharp cold letters nailed above its doors. The sign that had instilled fear in the small girl simply read, “St. Mary's Asylum.”

* * *

“ **BEEP!!! BEEP!!! BEEP!!!** ” Just as suddenly as she had fallen asleep, a harsh ringing achieved at waking her up. Slowly, Zoey's tired senses came alive and with that, the memories of what her world now was. She was now an orphaned, slightly insane witch who had no place to call home. However, to her, the worst part of this entire situation was that her parents died not even knowing half of who she really was.

She hadn't even been able to say goodbye to them properly either. They were supposed to die happy, as grandparents, from old age. They were not supposed to be murdered by bloodthirsty zombies that were too hungry to leave her parents alone.

The worst part was that she hadn't yet forgiven them for sending her to that horrible hospital. They didn't even know the entirety of what horrible things they did to her while she was there. She hadn't been able to gather the courage to let them know the truth… However, they wouldn't want her to be sulking like this either... They would want her to do what she thought was right, and to her, that was helping Rythian and Duncan administer the cure.

Slowly she brought her body upright, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the new light. The beeping had stopped and Duncan had already set to work on pulling supplies out of Rythian's kitchen. Every so often, his eyes would briefly meet hers before looking back to his work. Zoey could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation he had found himself in and didn't quite know what to do with himself.

Turning her gaze away from the kitchen, she looked at the television that Rythian and her had been watching before the signal had cut off. She was about to turn it on again when the sudden loud gurgle of a hungry stomach tore through the room.

Looking back to Duncan she caught the slightest hint of a blush as he held his stomach in a useless attempt to silence it. She may not be able to help Duncan feel comfortable in Rythian's home but that didn't mean she couldn't help his stomach feel comfortable.

Fifteen minutes later Zoey was cleaning up the cleared dishes and throwing out the extra trash. After clearing his plate, Duncan give her a brief 'thank you, before turning back to his work. She may not have been good at keeping her sanity or using her magic but she was glad she was at least good at cooking.

As she threw out the last plastic fork, she let her mind wander on this thought. Her mother had been the one to teach her the art of food and she couldn't help but make her way to the kitchen's sliding glass door. The sun was starting to set and the reds only helped to remind her of what had happened earlier that day.

Her father would be coming home from work around this time. He would be entering the home and giving his wife a kiss on the cheek while he wrapped his daughter in his strong, warm arms. Then her mother would rush off to make sure whatever meal in the oven wasn't burning.

Then her father would take off his shoes and ask her about her day. She would then answer him with a smile as he sat down in his favorite chair. Her mother would then call her into the kitchen to help set the table. Minutes later they would all be sitting down at their kitchen table, ready enjoy another family meal.

This was something that had happened everyday at her house and she had taken it for granted. She would never joke with her dad that he needed glasses or tell her mom all about her newest art project. Little things like these were what she was going to miss the most and it hurt. There was no way her life could sink any lower…

At least, that was her truthful opinion until the crystalline glass door in front of her shattered. Glistening pieces of it scattered through the room, cutting her in places and avoiding others with a sparkly precision. One moment she had been gazing at the sunset and the next she was staring at a half eaten face ready to give her the same injury. All she could do was scream with the hope that somebody, anybody, would save her because she did not want to die.

It as at this moment, that time, seemed to slow down. To Zoey it was the akin to having her life flash before her eyes. In front of her, a zombie stood; ready to bite into its prey’s face. Behind her, a teenage genius was cowering, defenseless and unable to help. And beside her? There was nothing but the soft couch that she wished to be waking up from at any moment. But this was not a dream.

She wouldn't be waking up with her two parents still alive because this was her life now. It was also a life that was going to end at any second. Slowly, she closed her eyes, accepting the fate that was being given to her in that moment.

“I'm coming to join you Mum and Dad. I love you both…” She relaxed and waited for the pain to come but it never would. The sound of wood slamming into plaster and the snap of metal hinges breaking off a door brought her back to reality. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see Rythian bolting towards the creature in front of her with an inhuman speed.

However, this wasn't the Rythian she knew and loved. His eyes were glazed over with dark emotions and his face was broken into a bloodthirsty rage. This Rythian was ready to murder someone and it unnerved Zoey to no end. Pushing her back, the thing that wasn’t her Rythian now became the only object between her and the zombie about to strike.

Instead of feeling relieved however, Zoey could only feel a growing sense of dread overtake her. The reason behind her feelings was due to the low inhuman growl that was emanating from deep within Rythian’s throat. It spoke only of blood and revenge without uttering a single coherent word. She felt her knees wobble as they suddenly gave out from her dwindling hope. As she sat on the ground helpless, she prayed to god that she would never be on the receiving end of that growl.

All she could conclude in her foggy mind was that the thing growling in front of her was not the Rythian she knew. It was someone or something else, far more evil and dark. Its posture was hunched but ready to strike at anything stupid enough to challenge it. Its aura was one of mindless rage and bloodlust. It was inhuman and wearing Rythian’s skin. This demon was going to kill the poor thing in front of it and Zoey prayed that it would be quick. The thing that was wearing Rythian’s skin didn't look like the type to give anything its mercy.

She knew she wouldn't be able stop its rage once it had begun and she was right. Just as quickly as she had lifted her head from its bowed position the demon had lifted the undead being into the air and slammed it back into the ground. As it did this repeatedly the body would occasionally ignite ass well with purple rage filled flames. Their color was alight with their master's uncontrollable anger.

This continued again and again until the thing being slammed around become unrecognizable. It had long stopped moving and letting out screams of pain. It was dead but this evil version of Rythian didn’t seem to notice. This slamming continued for much longer than she had cared to know and with each thump it became more apparent that the demon was not going to stop. She needed to get her Rythian back and she needed it desperately. She wouldn't be able to go on with her life if he wasn't there with her. She couldn't handle that… She would rather die…

Bracing herself, she stood and moved over to the creature that once was her Rythian and with strength she didn't know she possessed, her hand reached out and stopped the brunet's arm from causing any more damage. As soon as her hand rested on his arm all the anger seemed to visibly melt from his body. He slumped into a tired posture as his face filled once again with the raw emotion she was familiar with.

Sluggishly he turned his head to face hers and the expression she saw on his face almost broke her heart completely. The normal determination that was always settled in his face and posture was gone. In its place was the sad look of utter defeat and Zoey didn't like how it looked on him. For once, in the entire time that she had known him, Rythian looked ready to die. Slowly he opened his mouth as he tried with great effort to tell her something.

The words, “I'm sorry if I scared you,” were the only things his hoarse voice could sputter out before it failed. Then the strongest person she had ever known in her entire life collapsed like a rag doll into her arms. She was now alone with a cowardly genius and an open door to the dangerous world outside. Her mind was only able to think about a single thing as she laid her lover on the ground and switched into survival mode.

She simply had to  _survive, **survive, SURVIVE**_ …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 7 Preview:**  
>  The date was October 10th, 2008 and it was a day that Duncan Jones would never forget. He was only nine at the time, his best friend Rythian Enderborn being only a year older than him, However their age wasn't what made this unusually cold fall day so important. No, the importance happened to fall on the events that fate had so mercilessly set in their path. Duncan's life had been boiling for months and today, it was finally going to bubble over.
> 
> The blonde's entire body had been filled with foreboding since the moment his best friend had cut everyone out if his life, including Duncan. Prior to this, Rythian had been acting strange but Duncan had simply chalked it off as new-kid nervousness. At least, that was what Duncan had thought it had been... However as more time seemed to pass Rythian's actions only seemed to get stranger and stranger.
> 
> That month Rythian had just seemed too jumpy. The smallest of noises could get his friend jumping inches off the ground or fleeing at speeds that Duncan could only dream about. The brunette had seemed like a cornered cat that was about ready to be dropped into a warm bath. Sure, his friend's actions had worried the blonde a bit but it wasn't like there was anything he could do. To Duncan the nervousness was simply coming from from being Sips' and Sjin's personal punching bags which the pair had little choice in being.
> 
> Though once their conversations began to trickle into slowly being non-existent Duncan quickly began to worry. However, by that point it was too late. Rythian had already cut himself off from anything and everything and that had included Duncan. Rapidly, Duncan's hypothesis began to change as he was quickly left to fend for himself against Sjin and Sips once again...


	7. Tortured Memories & Cracked People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Sorry this took so long guys! I had an original goal of 4,000 words but once I reached it I realized that I had only accomplished half of what I wanted to do in this chapter. Those 4,000 words then soon turned into 7,000 and I had to decide if I needed to split the chapter or not. I eventually decided on splitting it so this is only the first part of chapter seven. The second part will be released soon (I only have editing left to do) so don't worry to much about the spilt. 
> 
> Also the other reason that this chapter took so long is because the story is starting to get a little more dark. I had to ask some other friends for advice on weather or not I should leave out some of the stuff that I wrote. It's not too dark but there are going to be mentions of Schizophrenia, Stockholm Syndrome, death, extreme bullying situations, mild abusive situations, and some twisted perceptions of good and evil. If any of these things are triggers for you I suggest that you put this story down after this chapter. If you're okay with these things then read on and I hope that you enjoy!

The date was October 10th, 2008 and it was a day that Duncan Jones would never forget. He was only nine at the time, his best friend Rythian Enderborn being only a year older than him, However their age wasn't what made this unusually cold fall day so important. No, the importance happened to fall on the events that fate had so mercilessly set in their path. Duncan's life had been boiling for months and today, it was finally going to bubble over.

The blonde's entire body had been filled with foreboding since the moment his best friend had cut everyone out if his life, including Duncan. Prior to this, Rythian had been acting strange but Duncan had simply chalked it off as new-kid nervousness. At least, that was what Duncan had thought it had been... However as more time seemed to pass Rythian's actions only seemed to get stranger and stranger.

That month Rythian had just seemed too jumpy. The smallest of noises could get his friend jumping inches off the ground or fleeing at speeds that Duncan could only dream about. The brunette had seemed like a cornered cat that was about ready to be dropped into a warm bath. Sure, his friend's actions had worried the blonde a bit but it wasn't like there was anything he could do. To Duncan the nervousness was simply coming from from being Sips' and Sjin's personal punching bags which the pair had little choice in being.

Though once their conversations began to trickle into slowly being non-existent Duncan quickly began to worry. However, by that point it was too late. Rythian had already cut himself off from anything and everything and that had included Duncan. Rapidly, Duncan's hypothesis began to change as he was quickly left to fend for himself against Sjin and Sips once again... 

Sjin and Sips had been the bane of Rythian and Duncan's existence's since the moment the two boys had first met them. They were the typical grade school bullies; big, mean and willing to do anything that made Rythian and Duncan's life a living hell. Had they stolen the boy's lunch money? Yes. Had given them more swirlies than they could count of their fingers and toes? Yes. Had they beaten them up in every hallway of the school and street in their neighborhood? Yes and yes. They had done it all but it had always been to the BOTH of them and the fact that Duncan could soon be facing it alone terrified him....

Duncan knew that they had only made it through their hell by teaming up and doing so together. When one was beaten up beyond recognition the other carried them home. When one had their cloths stolen from the school showers the other loaned them their spare set of cloths. That was how it had been for a long time but Duncan realized how foolish he had been to think it could stay like that forever. Why? Because Sips and Sjin ALWAYS found a way to ruin their lives.

* * *

"Hey! Sjin! Over here! I found our little loser!" The familiar voice of one of of Duncan's bullies made his body shiver from a primal fear of what he knew was coming next. Sips and Sjin had finally found his newest hiding spot which meant he would be kissing his peaceful lunches goodbye for quite awhile, or at least until he found a new one. If he could find a new one....

He had been eating in Janitor's closets upon the old man offering them to him for weeks now. The man had gotten sick of mopping up all the water in the bathroom stalls after Duncan's lunchtime punishments were done and over with so he had given him the spare keys in the hopes that Duncan could hide. The man admittedly also held a small amount of pity towards the young boy as well. He didn't believe anyone deserved this sort of treatment but sadly, there was nothing he could do.

He was a janitor and Sjin and Sips parents were very influential people on the school board. Any attempt to reveal their children's wrong-doings wouldn't be appreciated nor accepted. The school system in this case only believed one thing and that was that Sips and Sjin were angels in the eyes of their teachers so long as their parents were funding their pay-checks.

So the janitor did the only thing that he could do, give Duncan Jones the spare keys to various unused rooms and the instructions to use them so long as he was hiding from his bullies during lunch. It however didn't take long for the evil pair to realize that their their victim wasn't absent from school but merely hiding from them during lunch, breaks, and recess. The two then quickly changed their plan of attack to scarfing down their lunches quickly and ripping open various rooms in the school until they found Duncan's newest hiding spot.

They had only succeeded in finding him a handful of times, and sadly, today just happened to be one of those times. His small length of peace was over and with it the chance of leaving school with his cloths still dry. His tormentors had found him and Duncan knew they were going to beat the life out of him for all the missed sessions he had caused them. Today was going to be hellish torture session and Duncan slightly wished that he hadn't hidden from them in the first place.

Duncan could only cower where he sat as Sjin slammed the closet's door open with a loud crash. He was breathing deeply a malicious look in his eyes as he seemed to size up the cowering boy in front of him. Then as if a twig had snapped, releasing the Sjin Duncan knew and feared, the taller boy grabbed the smaller boy by the collar and lifted him up.

The blonde gagged as he struggled under the older boy's grip. He briefly saw Sips enter the room and kick over the smaller boy's lunch tray before his vision began to blur from the lack of oxygen. The blonde briefly thought of how the sprayed colors of his lunch on the wall looked breath-taking underneath the dull light of the florescent bulb hanging above them. He continued to gag for what seemed like an eternity as the two older boys just sat and watched. Their faces were adorned with sickening smiles that showed just how much they were enjoying the entertainment they found out of causing the blonde pain. 

Then, without warning, Sjin released the young genius' collar causing the younger boy to fall to the floor with a loud thud. Finally free from the cold grip that had kept precious air from his lungs, Duncan laid there on the the floor gasping and gulping for the mixture for the precious mixture that would keep him alive. He barely registered his two captors each taking an arm and a fistful of his hair as they began to dragging him out of the small closet and down the long hallway that its doorway connected into.

He already knew what was coming the moment they dragged him past the sign that directed visitors towards the school's restrooms. Duncan's fears were only strengthened as he was was forcefully through the bright-blue doorway that was the entrance into the lavatory. As Sjin and Sips stopped, Duncan still held firmly in their arms, everyone in the room looked up from what they were doing. They were already aware of what was soon going to happen to the blonde boy on the bathroom floor. No more than ten seconds later every child that had been in the small lavatory left, each passing Duncan one at at time but without even giving him a single glance. Duncan couldn't blame them for that though.... 

There were unspoken rules in this school. Rules that no child ever dared to disobey unless they wanted to be given that same treatment that a certain blonde suffered under everyday. There were many of them but most pertained to the actions of Craftia Middle School's two bullies. They had both made it very clear that anyone caught breaking these commandments would suffer greatly for doing so. When it came to Duncan's punishment, due to these rules, he was completely on his own.

The rules were what made Duncan's torture so hard.... Don't use the stall that Sips and Sjin wrote their names on in each bathroom unless you want to be a victim of its porcelain throne. Always leave a bathroom if Sips and Sjin come in with a victim because witnesses are never allowed. Never stand up for someone being bullied by Sips and Sjin unless you want to become a victim too. Don't look at a victim while they are undergoing a punishment unless you would like to be next. Lastly, one should never tell because the teachers won't do anything and instead will likely tell the two demons what you said.

Only one person had ever broken these silent rules for Duncan. His name had been Rythian Enderborn and he had been brave enough to try and do something about what he was forced to see each and every day. Rythian had attempted to stop the violence that had become Duncan's daily routine with terrible consequences.

Granted, Rythian had been the new kid that day many months ago. He hadn't yet been told anything about the situation Sips and Sjin involved the blonde in. In fact, Rythian hadn't even made any friends which Duncan would later find very surprising due to the immense wealth that his stoic friend's family had. With the amount of money he would soon learn Rythian had, he was surprised that he hadn't settled in with Sjin and Sips right away.

Though, Duncan was glad that he hadn't, he was still upset that his friend would be dragged so deeply into the blonde's problems. He was a blackhole, someone to stay away from if you knew what was best for you yet Rythian hadn't cared.... He had broken every one of the golden rules simply because he thought that they were wrong...

* * *

It had happened at recess. Duncan was hiding like normal, even though there weren't many good places to hide, when Sjin and Sips found him... They caught him by surprise, sneaking up closer and closer. When Sjin's foot accidentally snapped a twig lying innocently on the ground, it was already too late. Before he could try and run from his spot underneath one of the play-set's stairs, his two bullies pounced and began dragging their victim out and into the open. Duncan tried to grab onto something, anything, but it was futile. His hiding spot had nothing to grab onto besides loose gravel and the occasional snapped twig.

They continued to drag him, not bothering to turn him around so they could drag him by the arms. The captive blonde boy struggled in their grip, his face and arms being cut up as they were dragged across the loose sharp stones that covered the playground's dirt. Duncan feebly attempted to lift himself up with his hands as to keep the hard rocks from cutting his face but that quickly turned out to be a mistake. Instead of his face and arms being cut, his hands now took the full forced of his weight causing long deep gashes to form as he was dragged along. With this, Duncan was forced to choose between injuring his hands or his face.... Believing that his hands were more important for him to normally function, the blonde gently lowered his face back down and let his hands drag limply behind.

When Sjin and Sips finally let go, Duncan was on the blacktop. Slowly he lifted his bloody face up and tried to clean it up a bit so he could see. Just as the last off the blood covering his eyes was gone the blonde briefly saw the only teachers outside quickly walking away to the other of the the school yard. That is, until Sjin's sneaker conveniently stepped into his line of sight cutting off any hope for an adult to see him and help.

Seeing that Sjin and Sips were on the blacktop, students all over the playground dropped what they were doing and walked over to see what their tyrants wanted. Balls fell limply from hands as they rolled away from their running masters and swings continued to sway slight not yet realizing that there wasn't anything riding on them. Recess was the only exception to the Sips and Sjin's 'no witnesses' rule and all the kids were expected to watch....

Everyday the Sjin and Sips would try and find him. If they did he was dragged all the way to the blacktop in order for his punishment to be witnessed. The teachers would walk to the other end of the lot, choosing not to witness the cruelty so any legal accusations would be void. The exception to the no witnesses rule also meant that every kid would have to watch. Anyone found not watching was subject to the same treatment as Duncan. It was the same consequence for every rule made by Sjin and Sips but, as always, it was enough to keep all eyes on the blonde boy in front of them. All eyes except one pair...

One pair that was looking right ahead as they swung back and fourth on a swing that was breaking the playgrounds silence with the sound of rusty screeching. The kid didn't even seem to notice the hundreds of that slowly switched their gaze to him as Sjin and Sips did the same. They all simultaneously watched as the boy slowly dragged his feet in the ground so he could halt the swing and stand. Once his feet were back on solid ground the boy, Duncan would later know as Rythian, walked calmly towards the crowd that was eyeing him so strangely. Sjin and Sips had even stopped their torturous ceremony as to gaze at the boy who was so stupidly approaching them.

"What'cha all doing?" The question was slurred with a soft slang that didn't seem to fit the kid's rigid body language. In addition to that his eyes seems to lack the softness that his question included. Amazingly his gaze also seemed to remain on Sjin and Sips despite the hundreds of kids surrounded him that seemed intent on watching his every move like hungry piranhas.

It took a couple moments before his seemingly simple question got an answer. No one dared to speak while in the presence of Sips or Sjin unless they were spoken to and they had VERY good reasons for that. Several awkward moments passed before Sips finally opened his mouth to give the tall brunette an answer using a seemingly polite tone. His words could not however hide the pure insanity that Duncan could see in his bully's eyes.

"Well that depends... Who. Are. You?" The end of his sentence paused between its correctly said segments, as if Sips was making fun of the other boys previous slurring of words. Duncan resisted the urge to look at the boy above him because he knew he would be able to see the rage oozing from every aspect of his captor. He didn't want to know just how much of a beating he was going to get just yet.

Duncan thought briefly of how sad it was that he could tell how much pain he was going to go through just by looking at his captor's body language. Sometimes he never wanted to see what his day would entail but he knew he would need to look eventually. He had learned, though the hard way, that looking was one of the best ways he could be prepared and survive whatever they threw at him. He was running in a hopeless circle that had no exit and the only thing he could do was keep running. No one was going to drag him out of that circle and onto a straight line. He had to do that for himself, however impossible it may seem.

The blonde was quickly pulled out of his thoughts however when Sjin's grip suddenly re-adjusted forcing the blonde to look up. Doing as the older boy wanted Duncan slowly raised his gaze until he stopped on an utterly confusing sight. Sips and the boy were doing nothing but glaring at one another something every child on this playground hadn't seen in a long time. NO ONE glared at Sips or Sjin and got away with it.... NO ONE......

Their fight had efficiently turned into a mental game and the odds were definitely in Sips favor. How did he know? Well, because if this kid knew what was best for him he's back down and let the two bullies win. Why? Because last time this had happened it had been Duncan in that boy's spot and he had won. He had won and the next day his life had turned into his own personal hell.

Duncan had gone to school with two handfuls of friends that day and had left with none all because those two demons that were dead set on ruining the rest of his life. No one was allowed to be smarter than Sjin and Sips because if you were, you were just asking for trouble. Trouble that Duncan knew this kid wouldn't be able to handle.

"I believe I asked you a question first." Sips' eyebrows furrowed with surprise at the sudden clarity of the boy's words. The boy however, remained unfazed as he continued to stare down the two bullies on the blacktop. Sips and Sjin were eyeing the boy too, sizing up their prey if the blonde wanted to be more accurate. Their eyes were looking for weaknesses, anything they could use to break the poor boy tomorrow... 

Duncan quickly felt a pang of understanding and pity. He felt sorry for the tall brunette yet he also felt happy. He felt happy that he wouldn't be tortured alone and the thought somewhat sickened him. For the first time in a long time Duncan felt hope.... He was hoping that this kid would get in trouble so the blonde wouldn't be alone anymore..... How much had Sips and Sjin fucked up his head if he thought of this situation as something to be happy about?

"Very well, my name is Sjin Sykes, the kid next to me is my friend Sips Lovasz, and the blonde loser on the ground isn't really that important. What is your name new-kid?" Duncan had to hold his breath in order to keep a supposed gasp from escaping it. Had Sjin really just given in and answered the new-kid's question toll free? No, it had to have had a price it just wasn't going to be obvious until tomorrow... Just like it hadn't been obvious for him..... 

"My name's Rythian... Rythian Enderborn... If you don't mind me asking Sjin and Sips," the boy only paused briefly to turn his head to each of Duncan's captors as he spoke their respective name, "what are you and the whole playground up to over here? Last time I checked recess was a time for playing, not performing whatever ritual you have got going on over here on the blacktop." Another question without being ask one first? This kid, this Rythian, was REALLY pushing his limits now... No one asked about the ritual, they just watch because that was just the safe thing to do.

"Well, why don't you stop bothering us and you can find out," Sips almost growled as his grip tighten around the blonde's arm. His bullies' words mixed with the alerting pain of his arm being squeezed made Duncan's blood run cold. His whole body shivered as all the fear he had nearly forgotten came rushing back. He was still being held down by Sjin and Sips.... He was still going to be beaten beyond recognition... How could he have been so stupid? He should have begun trying to disconnect himself from his body as he had learned to do early on... It helped keep him from feeling the pain but it usually took awhile to do. Now he was going to feel every painful punch while everyone, including the new kid, watched....

"Alright go ahead," Rythian said calmly. However the brown haired boy hadn't been looking at Sips and Sjin when he had given them the go ahead. No, instead he had been staring directly at Duncan. His eyes shined with confidence and some other emotion that Duncan could quite place. Was it caring? Knowledge? Safety? All the blonde did know was that the emotion was something warm and it made Duncan believe slightly that everything was going to be okay. Then, his body was suddenly jerked upwards and his torture finally began...

After the first punch Duncan's hearing had gone out. By the second punch he couldn't feel his face. By the third he was on the ground and unable to see. Duncan waited for the fourth punch and final punch that always succeeded in knocking him out. After that, Sjin and sips and free reign to do anything to his body.... Then, When they were done, he'd always wake up hours later in the nurses office with various injures he would never remember getting. As Duncan sat there and waited he slowly realized that the fourth punch hadn't yet come...... It never would because the new kid would never allow it to.....

Gradually the blonde's hearing began to come back just enough that if he strained his ears, he could hear what was going on around him. All Duncan could ask himself was why his two tormentors had stopped. They've never stopped before... Even when he begged for mercy they would not bend and supply it, so why now? This question swirled through Duncan's mind as he heard shuffling all around him. Then there was the sickening sound of skin punching skin followed by a sickening crack. The crowed that was probably still watching let out a collective gasp as Sjin began yelling a string of nasally profanities. 

"First you shove me to the ground and now you've broken my fucking nose," Sjin barely made out between his adult leveled insults and primal growls.

"You're going to pay for that you new-kid prat," Sips bellowed soon after. All Duncan could was lay there and hope someone would take him to the nurses office. Or better yet, just finish it all and let him slip into blissful unconsciousness. However, before he could think more on this train of thought his body was suddenly lifted off the ground. He began to struggle, fearing that Sips and Sjin had come back for more but the grip holding him only tightened. 

"Stop freaking out. It's me, Rythian. I'm just taking you to the nurse. I promise." He was taking him to the nurse? Why? Why was he helping him? Why did he suddenly deserve it now? Why after months of praying and begging was the universe suddenly giving him its help? These were answers that the small blonde boy would never be able to answer. Not in the time it took for Rythian to bring him to the nurse and not in the time it would take for them to eventually split. Instead of thinking on this though, Duncan just sighed as he let himself fall into a deep sleep. He was exhausted and for some reason he knew with Rythian here everything was going to be alright. The universe was sad to know that it wouldn't be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 8 Preview:**
> 
> One year later, just one month before October 10th, 2008, everything changed. That year had been the safest Duncan would ever remember. Sips and Sjin hadn't thought that when they began terrorizing Rythian too, that their victims would find strength in each other that would loosen the two's hold on their school.
> 
> Rythian Enderborn and Duncan Jones had made an alliance that would keep them both safe from their bullies. It had worked well, both of them being caught only twice throughout the year as opposed to Duncan's four times a week. If one was in trouble the other would help them out of it. That's how it was and Duncan thought it would stay like that forever. But, Duncan was wrong... It wouldn't and couldn't stay like that forever.
> 
> That month something began to change in his one and only best friend. At first Rythian became overly jumpy around everyone. You couldn't come up behind him without at least making a little noise or you risked the threat of being quickly shoved to the ground.
> 
> Then Rythian started to miss school... That rarely happened and if it did the person that was to be absent was always to notify the other so they could skip. It came as quite a surprise when Duncan came to school one day only to be beaten beyond recognition not much later. It came as an even bigger surprise when Rythian failing to show up and save the small blonde from Sips and Sjin.
> 
> Next, Rythian wouldn't answer Duncan's calls or even come to the door when the blonde came around the brunette's house asking for him. At first his mother had told him that he wasn't home but Duncan had stopped believing her when he caught sight of Rythian in one of the upstairs windows one day as he was leaving.
> 
> Lastly, he stopped going to school all-together and Duncan was left to fend for himself once again with no explanation at all. Duncan went from being fairly safe in his school to being once again stuck back at square one with no plan for self-protection. Rythian stayed out of school for weeks and each day it got harder for Duncan to get out of bed. He was losing what little hope that he had of getting out of that school alive each day rapidly. Sometimes just the weight of that thought was just too crushing for him to even bear.
> 
> As the weeks passed by and Rythian continued to ignore Duncan, his heart began to fill with more and more resentment. Why would his best friend leave him so utterly defenseless? Had Rythian even been Duncan's friend at all? Or was it just a scheme that Sjin and Sips payed the brunet to do in order to break what little spirit Duncan had left? If that was what truly was going on, Duncan had to commend the two bullies for their plan's success.


	8. Stockholm Realities & Syndrome Futures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back again and with another chapter! Sorry for such the long wait. For some odd reason I have a habit of not being able to write during the summer. It probably due to that being my time to de-stress before school starts again and I don't do much of anything during it.Plus I love to write in my free time at school so that might be another reason why... Also, guess what I am now guys? I'm officially and 18 year old senior in my high school! So yeah....Just thought I'd let you all in on that little tidbit of my life before you start reading this. Once again this is un-betaed by anyone other than me so let me now if there are any major errors. With that, I bid you farewell and I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter of Worse Than a Cure!

One year later, just one month before October 10th, 2008, everything changed. That year had been the safest Duncan would ever remember. Sips and Sjin hadn't thought that when they began terrorizing Rythian too, that their victims would find strength in each other that would loosen the two's hold on their school.

Rythian Enderborn and Duncan Jones had made an alliance that would keep them both safe from their bullies. It had worked well, both of them being caught only twice throughout the year as opposed to Duncan's four times a week. If one was in trouble the other would help them out of it. That's how it was and Duncan thought it would stay like that forever. But, Duncan was wrong... It wouldn't and couldn't stay like that forever.

That month something began to change in his one and only best friend. At first Rythian became overly jumpy around everyone. You couldn't come up behind him without at least making a little noise or you risked the threat of being quickly shoved to the ground.

Then Rythian started to miss school... That rarely happened and if it did the person that was to be absent was always to notify the other so they could skip. It came as quite a surprise when Duncan came to school one day only to be beaten beyond recognition not much later. It came as an even bigger surprise when Rythian failing to show up and save the small blonde from Sips and Sjin.

Next, Rythian wouldn't answer Duncan's calls or even come to the door when the blonde came around the brunette's house asking for him. At first his mother had told him that he wasn't home but Duncan had stopped believing her when he caught sight of Rythian in one of the upstairs windows one day as he was leaving.

Lastly, he stopped going to school all-together and Duncan was left to fend for himself once again with no explanation at all. Duncan went from being fairly safe in his school to being once again stuck back at square one with no plan for self-protection. Rythian stayed out of school for weeks and each day it got harder for Duncan to get out of bed. He was losing what little hope that he had of getting out of that school alive each day rapidly. Sometimes just the weight of that thought was just too crushing for him to even bear.

As the weeks passed by and Rythian continued to ignore Duncan, his heart began to fill with more and more resentment. Why would his best friend leave him so utterly defenseless? Had Rythian even been Duncan's friend at all? Or was it just a scheme that Sjin and Sips payed the brunet to do in order to break what little spirit Duncan had left? If that was what truly was going on, Duncan had to commend the two bullies for their plan's success.

Duncan hadn't hid from Sjin and Sips in a long time. He had found that hiding often made the beatings much worse. In fact, these last couple sessions Sips and Sjin seemed to be less harsh with him as if his acceptance of his place in the school was being rewarded. They even talked to him sometimes too. Albeit, they were still harsh words but no beatings followed after them. Usually when they spoke to him it was followed by another session but that seemed to be slowly changing until one day, something amazing happened.

Duncan entered school that day and though both Sips and Sjin had seen him multiple times during it, they never attempted to lay a hand on him. By the time Duncan left the building as the final bell rang through the school's halls, the small genius was thoroughly confused. This emotion continued to hold the blonde in a daze until panic took over when he saw Sips and Sjin waiting for him by the door. He instantly knew it was him they were waiting for when he spotted the two following his movements with their intense gazes.

All the blissfulness he had felt before during the day seemed to melt as fear began to plague his mind once again. What were they planning? Why were they waiting for him? These thoughts were racing through his mind as he tried to walk as calmly as he could towards the door. All the while, Duncan could feel his bullies eyes burning their gaze into his face. When he finally reached the door Sips and Sjin were intimidatingly standing in front of it, blocking any way for Duncan to attempt an escape. His was trapped, and by the way his captors were standing, they knew it too.

The blonde refused to look up from his shoes or stare at the two bullies in the face. He already knew that doing so would only earn him another session so he stood their silently and waited for one of them to say something to him first. The seconds seemed to tick by until finally, the blonde heard one of the two boys sigh.

"Duncan," Sips started. The utterance of his name meant that the blonde could now look at the two boys blocking the exit from him. In these past months Duncan had slowly realized that Sips and Sjin held a unique ritual for everything that they said or did to the smaller blonde. He gradually figured this out until he became very aware of the rules that would bind him for the rest of his life in school. He wasn't to try and hide or run from the two unless he wanted a harsher beating once he was found. He was to do everything the pair asked of him without question or there would be severe consequences for him. He also wasn't to ask any adult for help or admit any of the things Sips and Sjin had ever done to him.

There were many more rules that he needed to follow but they were all so complicated in the way that they connected and influenced one another. It was hard to follow them all even with an IQ as high as his.... Though one fact was painfully obvious to him, all that Sips and Sjin desired was Duncan's complete and utter obedience. If he gave up that to them he was almost treated as their equal.....

* * *

Sips and Sjin were proud of the small boy standing broken in front of them. It had taken months but they had finally broken the small boy down enough that they could start his rebuilding process. The idea had come to the two years ago when the two friends realized something very important, that throughout history major geniuses always came in packs of three.

Josef Mengele, Adolf Hitler, and Josef Stalin were three geniuses alive during World War Two. Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris were the only three people ever to escape Alcatraz. Commodus, Elagabalus, and Caligula were three powerful Roman Emperors that ruled their land with an iron fist. Through these examples, it had become painfully obvious to the two young boys that success also only came in threes.

"Yes Sips," Duncan asked as slowly raised his head to look at the boy speaking to him. He was now allowed to speak to them after all which was no petty matter. The questions were bound to come eventually since they happened to be blocking the blonde's only way out of school and in extension, them. A moment passed as Sips looked the blonde over, searching for any sign of defiance despite knowing that he wouldn't find any. Duncan had been broken down perfectly by the two, and today, they were going to rebuild the blonde into something much, much better.

It had taken Sjin and Sips a long time to find someone worthy enough to be their third member. It took months of trial and error until they finally found Duncan, but by then the blondes personality was to far from what they actually needed. The dilemma was unexpected but nothing that the pair believed they couldn't fix. So Sips and Sjin had spent their next weeks searching for a way to mold their Duncan into something that they would truly find useful. The solution they eventually found was something that was commonly referred to in the psychological community as Stockholm syndrome.

After searching the internet for days at a time looking for any way they could wipe the offending personality out of their victim's head those two words repeatedly would pop up. Once they looked up what they words actually meant, the two boys instantly understood why. They found that Stockholm syndrome was a form of traumatic bonding that often formed emotional connections between a victim and their captor, or captors, when they beat, threatened, abused, or intimidated the victim for a long period of time.

Once the two had read those words they knew that had finally found a way to get Duncan just the way they wanted him. That night they meticulously set up their several month long operation and went to school the next day wearing wicked smirks, their heads full of devious intent.

The first month went by smoothly? Duncan was finally beginning to learn his place until something messed it all up. A new child moved into town, one that wasn't a coward like Sips and Sjin had quickly trained the entire school to be. No, this new kid was a hero type, one that had no place in Sips and Sjin's plans. His name was Rythian Enderborn and it only took mere seconds for the boy to throw a wrench into the pair's plan. All it took was one show of compassion towards their blonde haired victim for their carefully built house of cards to come tumbling down around them.

They tried for weeks to separate the two boys that had quickly become friends but no matter what they tried, nothing seemed to work. That was, until a miracle solved the problem for the two bullies. Months of waiting had passed by in failure until the two boys slowly began to realize that something strange was beginning to happen to the friendship that their Duncan had regrettably forged without their consent. Rythian began to leave Duncan alone at school more and more, making him resort to finding for himself which often ended in failure due to Sips and Sjin. Skipping school would then gradually turn outright ignoring the blonde only a week later. What Sjin and Sips however thought was best part, often was that they didn't need to do any work at breaking the two apart anymore. 

They knew where this series of events was heading and they would thoroughly use it to their advantage in the next coming steps. All they had to do was watch the light slowly fade from Duncan's eyes with each passing day that Rythian didn't show up and pick up the pieces when Duncan finally gave up hope once again. Their work would become much, much easier after that. Duncan just had to begin realizing that no one was going to save him and that there was no more need to fight them anymore. After all geniuses came in threes, they just had to get Duncan to realize this and which slowly, he did. 

Duncan would quickly become more and more more obedient towards them as Rythian began showing up to school less and less. The syndrome quickly took it hold until they Duncan after that which finally made the blonde onto mere putty in their hands. Today though, their was one more test. If Duncan did as they asked without question he would finally be initiated into their group. The beatings would stop and Duncan would finally be their equal in everything they did together. If he didn't though.....

Well it would be back to square one and Sips and Sjin weren't sure the boy's sanity could handle much more of that. It would be a shame but the treatment was required if they wanted Duncan to be exactly as they wished him to be. If he broke, finding another to take his place would be easy. Duncan's parents were best Psychologists at Mincraftia's only mental Asylum so they were sure he would be treated wonderfully there if it came to that.

Sips however was quickly pulled from these thoughts when he felt a small nudge to his side coming from the left. Sjin was letting him know that he had once again let his thoughts wander too far off when they had important things to do. Glancing quickly to his best friend, he gave a slight nod that signaled Duncan was under their control and finally ready for his test.

"Duncan today is a very special day for you," Sips said in an overly sweet tone to the blonde standing in front of them. The small genius didn't say a word as he waited for his 'master' to continue. Sjin couldn't help but smile at the large improvement from when they had first met the boy. Duncan had always been more appealing to him with a closed mouth.

"Sjin and I have prepared a special test for you today. Here is how it will go. You do everything we say when we say it and by the end of the day today you will be rewarded. Your reward being that you no longer will be abused by us but considered our equal in everything that you do'" Sips explained carefully before Sjin continued.

"You see Duncan, we purposely chose you. Sips and I plan to do great things and we want you to be apart of them. From now on, we are a group in everything and we all will only do things that better this group." The two boys paused to let their words sink in before Sips spoke once again.

"But that is only if you succeed in what we expect of you. If you fail however, it's back to square one and all the beatings that came with it. We are very sorry but if you don't do exactly what we ask we will have no choice but to punish you as such. You understand don't you?" Duncan was unable to open his mouth due to the swelling panic caused by Sips' words. So instead the blonde simply nodded his head and hoped that he could do everything Sips and Sjin asked of him. At this Sips smiled and so did Sjin.

"Good, I'm glad. Would you like to hear your test now?" Again Duncan merely nodded and Sips and Sjin smiled at one another as they took the blonde to a janitor's closet. They didn't need anyone hearing their plans and meddling in them after all.

What followed was something that took Duncan years to block out. Sips' and Sjin's request was simply to give Rythian a beating that he equated to what he had received almost daily for years. He simply had to lure Rythian to the park and beat the boy up while Sips and Sjin watched him but that was easier said than done. Rythian had protected him after all but as soon as he thought that the darker part of his mind also reminded him that the same person had also abandoned him to the wolves as well.  Those dark words where enough of an influence on him now that he instantly agreed with them.

Rythian was no longer his friend. Not after he had left him so suddenly to the madness that was Sips' and Sjin's minds. With those thoughts in mind Duncan quickly obliged their request. Looking back though he knew that at that moment in his past, he didn't actually have much of a choice. He was completely unable of telling his captors no and they knew that for that was what the had planned for him from the very beginning. He was so far under their control that he knew if they had asked him to build a nuclear bomb he would have just to avoid the amount of pain they would inflict on him if he didn't.

Before he could even pick up his cellphone to call the very familiar number of the friend that so badly broke his trust, it began to ring with an all too familiar tone.. It was Rythian's ringtone, one easy to tell by the symphony of orchestral music that vibrated his phone as it played. What puzzled him however was why Rythian was calling him. All he could think was why now? Rage seemed to bubble over onto his face at this inner question and Sips smiled at at the change in the blonde's expression. Duncan's training had turned out well. He no longer blamed Sips and Sjin for his pain but the friend that abandoned him instead. It was perfect and just as the two bullies had planned.

Duncan quickly answered the phone and cleanly masked all his rage as he to the person on the other end of the phone. Once the call was over Duncan quickly explained that it had been Rythian's mother. He had called Duncan home leaving a message to meet him at the park. However due to Duncan's absence his mother had called Mrs. Enderborn and informed her to call Duncan on his cell. Sips and Sjin smiled at Duncan as he explained all of this to them. His gaze was one needing desperate encouragement and Sips and Sjin were happy to supply him with it.

* * *

Exactly one hour later the trio was walking onto the park grounds and quickly heading towards the large oak tree in the center of the nearby clearing. Once there, they shortly spotted Rythian high up in the branches, his mind lost in a mysterious leather bound book. Sips ordered Duncan to pick up a stone and throw it at the daydreaming boy which Duncan did without question with Sips and Sjin following the boys lead soon after. After a third rock to the head the three finally managed to then knock the brunette out of the tree and onto the ground with a loud thud. Now that the brunette was within the group's grasp they could finally begin.

What followed soon after was a undetailed haze of intense emotions and flailing limbs. Time seemed to pass by in an instant. Memories of beating Rythian faded in and out of each other like a symphony of pain and desperation. Duncan had long since disconnected from the situation to save what little sanity he had left. He just did as Sips and Sjin said until they dragged him away when was all over.

He didn't snap back into reality until his head hit his pillow that night. Even then though, he didn't acknowledge any of the things he had done. It was in that moment that his denial took hold. He told himself over and over that it had been Sips and Sjin throwing all the punches, not him. He continued to say this until he fell asleep and woke up believing it. After that, Rythian didn't return to school until the next year. By that time Duncan had fully repressed any memories of his involvement and was content with avoiding Rythian as he did so.

Rythian didn't return as the same kid either. He was someone new, someone angry and hurt. Duncan didn't notice though. He never noticed.... Just like the screams for mercy that had left the brunette's mouth when Sjin and Sips had stopped while Duncan kept on going. They had left him to die that day and that was something that Rythian would NEVER forget.

* * *

Duncan stood there in shock long after Rythian had collapsed in Zoey's arms. He couldn't believe it.... What had he done? The memories came rushing back to the blonde as, one by one, they clicked in place.

Rythian had called him all those years ago about what he had seen just now, years later.... He had nearly killed Rythian over what was probably the hardest thing the brunette ever had to do. He had disconnected in order to protect the blonde....

Dear god.... Duncan felt as if he was going to throw up the lunch that was now so unsettled in his stomach. What a horrible human being he was.... Sips and Sjin more so...... He had nearly killed his best friend merely because his bullies had ASKED him to..... The contents of his stomach made their way to the floor as Duncan fully realized the implications of his actions so long ago.

Zoey didn't even look up at him as she stared at the unconscious brunette in her arms. Suddenly however, she stood up after gently laying Rythian on the floor. Her gaze lifted to him, her eyes steely and filled with determination. Opening her mouth she quickly ordered him to suck it up and help her seal off the now smashed glass door. It was a temporary solution but one that would give them enough time to figure out what to do next.

Duncan merely hacked up the rest of his lunch as he helped her find a table that was big enough to be nailed in front of the door. He was once again disconnected only doing was he was told and it sent a shiver down his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Chapter 9 Preview:**   
>  _COMING SOON!_


	9. Safety Dreams and Searing Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello! Back again! Sorry for such a late chapter update. It's my senior year of high school and it's college acceptance time. So it took me awhile to get this out. Plus my GPA was crap so I had to focus on getting that up. I hope you guys understand and love this chapter. Have fun reading and please leave a review with feedback if you feel like it.

It was bright. Much to bright to still be inside, on his apartment’s floor… On top of that he was positive that his tile floor couldn’t have suddenly been replaced by gravel in the time that he had been unconscious. He thought it was gravel underneath him because glass would have had him wincing in pain already… The only thought that his mind could muster was that if he was certain he wasn’t on his kitchen floor, where then was he?

He remembered that his kitchen window had been smashed in as a zombie had come limping up to Zoey. He remembered his age and indecisiveness as he gave and chose Zoey over keeping his powers hidden from the blonde that was watching the scene unfold, doing nothing, like the the coward he was. Then, he remembered him losing it before gazing at Zoey’s scared face just as his body fell into her trembling open arms. 

Rythian sat there on the ground for a few moments, pretending to still be asleep as he pondered what he had done and what he should do next. He sorted through his opens quickly before finally deciding that it was about time to ‘wake up’. After all, if they really had moved locations, he had a lot of questions to ask. For one, he desperately needed to know how long he had been out. He hated to think that he had left Zoey to deal with his unconscious body and a cowardly Duncan for more than a few hours….

Slowly, he opened his eyes and groaned slightly as he lifted himself off the ground. His back was sore from laying on the uneven gravel which, to Rythian, was not a good sign as to how long he had actually been unconscious. Taking note of this development Rythian then moved to scan exactly where he had been laying, hoping to find some hint as to where he was and why. 

He quickly noticed that he was under a tarp, that had obviously been fastened into a make-shift tent. One that was easy to take down in case of an emergency that needed its creator to leave quickly. He was sitting on a thin blanket that had been an attempt at making the ground semi comfortable but Rythian’s sore book proved just how helpful the idea had actually been. Beside him was a flashlight that had be haphazardly placed next to half-empty bottle of water and a slightly ratty backpack that Rythian recognized was Duncan’s. 

Looking around Rythian quickly realized that there were no other items in the tent and nothing else to observe there either. This left only one option for the tall burnet. He needed to venture outside. He just hoped that Zoey hadn’t been hurt while he had been unconscious. With that simple thought, the burnet moved the corner of the tarp that covered the entrance to the side as stepped out into the bright morning sunlight. 

For a brief moment, Rythian could see nothing but the smoking remains of a fire with a gun laying near it, a box ammo spilled next to it. Other than those simple details, the make-shift camp that Rythian had woken up in seemed vacant from any life. This thought made Rythian panic a bit as he wondered if something had happened here that caused his two companions to flee. However, he was quickly startled from these thoughts when a familiar and comforting voice called his name from nearby. 

“Rythiiiaaaaan!” The words instantly calmed Rythian’s bristling thoughts. He took a deep breath as he was finally able to convince himself that she was fine. She wouldn’t have called him like that if they were in any danger after all. Further more, she was very close to camp if her voice was as loud as he thought it was. 

Turning slightly, the tall brunette briefly caught a glimpse of red hair before he was promptly tackled to the ground. A faint giggle was heard, slightly muffled from the fact that the speaker’s face was pressed up against his chest. Rythian couldn’t help but smile at the red-head tightly hugging his chest and he hesitantly rested his hand on her back. Not even the silent gaze of that blonde scientist standing nearby could ruin this small piece of a perfect moment. That is, until Duncan actually did succeed in ruining it by stepping over and starting a conversation with the tall mage.

“Zoey, you should really get off of him. He could still be injured in a way that we don’t know about,” the blonde said, his voice wobbling slightly as he uttered the last few words of his sentence. It was easy for Rythian to pick up what the real meaning in those words was. What the blonde really meant was, “Get off him Zoey. We don’t know if he’s still crazy or not.”

It came as no surprise to him though. After all, he had very easily lost it before he became unconscious. For all Duncan knew, Rythian could lose it again any minute. Rythian didn’t blame him for those thoughts at all. He would be thinking the same thing if it were him watching Duncan go insane by knocking a zombie, that was once a human, senseless until it was mush on his apartment’s kitchen floor. 

Zoey, however appeared ignore these words for just a few more moments as she took in the last of their precious contact before heeding Duncan’s warning and stepping away from him to stand next to Duncan. They were both now a safe distance away but Zoey’s worried expression showed that she, at least, didn’t want to be.

“What in the hell happened back there,” Duncan finally asked minutes later. He had been waiting for Rythian to start the conversation but had slowly caught on that the tall brunette was still in no mood to talk. Even after Duncan asked the single most important question on his mind Rythian still had trouble talking. It wasn’t that he was ignoring the blonde, it was just that the answer to the question that Duncan had was a long one and Rythian didn’t even know where to start. There was so much the short scientist didn’t know. There was much that Zoey didn’t know, and he cared deeply for her…. No. He loved here and that’s what scared him out of telling her the truth.

He wouldn’t be around for much longer. Definitely not long enough to start a life with the sweet red-head that had put home in his life. He was going to die, if only in a way that made his fate just as bad as losing his life, and he was pretty sure that Zoey cared too much for him to move on after it happened. His soul was on a count down it it was slowly ticking closer to zero.

It would be better if he didn’t tell her so that she would think it had just been an accident right? He could fake his death and then let her move on with her life normally? That way she couldn’t have to carry the burden that he was still alive, in a demon sort of way, and in pain. Sighing audibly the mage lamented his sorry fate aloud causing Duncan quirk an eyebrow and Zoey to take on an even more worried expression. He admittedly had gotten himself into quite a mess hadn’t he? The worst part was that he wasn’t sure he could fix it before his clock struck zero.

Rythian however soon realized that his two companions were still waiting for there answer. He had too far off into his own self pity to realize it, but the blonde standing in front of him was obviously become more worried as the brunettes’ silence wore on. They needed an answer but he wasn’t sure he could give them one right now, so instead he decided to re-direct the conversation.

“I have a better question. How did I exactly get here? I may be wrong but I’m pretty sure I-,” Rythian stopped. The best words to describe what had happened was that he had simply lost it. However, when said like that it made the mage sound more like the monster that had been attacking Zoey, or a demon, but he didn’t want to think about that comparison either. Clearing his throat with a cough, Rythian continued as if words hadn’t just sputter out as he realized what he just been about to compare himself too.

“I, uhm, blacked out in my house,” Rythian finished, faltering slightly at the beginning despite how he had willed himself so desperately not to. Duncan had quickly caught the out of character action and was about to question the brunette further on it when he suddenly felt a small hand rest itself on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Zoey shake her head slightly, signaling to him that now was not the time to be asking Rythian any questions. 

Duncan wanted to protest this demand but the look Zoey was giving the blonde made him quickly re-evaluate that decision. It was obvious why she was telling him to let it go for the moment. Rythian looked scared. He looked just as scared as he and Zoey probably looked standing so far away from him. It was obvious that they weren’t the only one’s worried about what the tall mage was capable of. The scarf covered teen was worried about that as well. He didn’t want to hurt them…

Then before the blonde could stop her Zoey walked over to Rythian, who was still sitting in the same spot Zoey had left him when she had so happily tackled him with joy, and sat down next to him. Duncan watched momentarily as the smoking remains of their camp’s fire drifted into the air only to be carried away by a gentle breeze. Zoey was waiting for him join them, stubbornly deciding that she wasn’t going to start answering Rythian’s questions until the blonde scientist sat next to her. Second ticked by before Duncan finally gave in and took his place on a low tree stump with an exasperated sigh.

“Glad you could join us Duncan,” the red-head known as Zoey chirped with a happy smile. How she could do that when their whole world was falling apart was beyond the scientist but he was glad she could do it. It made it a little easier to bare the landscape that their hometown had now become. She was like the sun in this dark landscape that was once their home, their Minecraftia…. Zoey however didn’t waste a beat as she quickly got ready to tell their previously unconscious friend what exactly had happened while he was out.

* * *

Zoey wasn’t just scared when Rythian suddenly collapsed in her arms from a type of exhaustion that she could only imagine. She had never seen her tall protector so strong, so angry, so…. Insane…. She couldn’t even begin to wrap her head around what exactly she had witnessed. What had she witnessed? 

That question rung in her mind long after she had delicately placed her tan skinned mage on the floor and stood up. She had quickly realized that she didn’t have the time to think more on these thoughts. She had to switch into survival mode. The glass back-door in Rythian’s apartment was now shattered leaving all three of it’s current residents open to the elements and whatever was roaming out in them. They were in danger and they couldn’t stay that way for long or they wouldn’t survive another day.  


Turning to Duncan, Zoey gave him a steely expression once she saw how badly he was shaking. The wired remains of his once working gun was juggling around in his hand s in a way that made Zoey quite surprised that he hadn’t dropped it already. Briefly she though of comforting the shaken genius but quickly dismissed the idea. They didn’t have much time before something else caught their scent in the wind.  


They had to cover that door and pack whatever useful items they could find soon. There wasn’t anymore time to lounge around and rest. They had to get the cure to the radio station and they had to do it quickly, even if an unconscious Rythian would slow the process down. It wasn’t like they could leave him after what he had just done. He had saved her life again and Duncan’s too, no less.  


“Stop shaking Duncan. We need to get moving. Help me get the tarp that I saw in the coat closet. We need to secure it over the door until we get all the stuff that we need to leave.” The words coming out of her mouth were stern, something she was not used to them sounding like. The tone worked its magic though because Duncan got the message and immediately led the way to the coat closet he had also obviously seen as he entered Rythian’s apartment earlier that evening.  


Only minutes later a blue tarp had been duct-taped over the door and Duncan was rabidly trying to finish his weapon as Zoey packed up the essentials that they would be needing one they finally stepped foot outside. As time passed Rythian still failed to wake up, though Zoey had moved him to a more comfortable spot on the living room couch so he would be out of the way and not laying on broken glass.  


It worried her slightly that he hadn’t even budge an inch but he was breathing so it gave her enough ease of mind to trust that he would probably be okay. She still made a point to walk by every so often as she packed however just to make sure that something visibly wasn’t wrong with him. Every time she passed by though revealed no such change in the tall mage until she and Duncan were fully packed. They both stood over the mage’s unconscious form and realized that they would probably be carrying him to the radio station themselves. Leaving him here was definitely not an option but they still had no idea how they were going to bring him along.  


However, as they both stood there unsure of what they could do Zoey suddenly began to remember one of the most recent magic lessons she had received from Rythian before the world had gone to hell. It had been a simple levitation spell, one of the first ones she had actually been successful at performing. She had been so excited that day when she had finally lifted a candle off of one of Rythian’s desks.  


She had stared in awe as it slowly rose and followed the paths that she drew in her mind. Rythian was so proud of her that day too. She could feel so much positive energy oozing from the taller mage’s grinning face. Later that day though she had also gotten what one could call the magic version of “the talk.” In short, Rythian and made Zoey promise that from then on she would never use her magic to hurt, impress, or prank another person.  


It was a promise that she had kept, only using her magic during her training with Rythian because she had never had another use for it. That was, until now. Now Rythian would be in danger if they didn’t bring him with them and even when they did bring him his weight would slow them down enough to endanger them as well. Sighing she realized that now more than ever, she needed her magic to help them.  


She had hoped that Duncan wouldn’t needed to know that she, as well, was a mage but the odds of that were quickly dwindling before her eyes. She had three choices. She could leave Rythian here to die, find a way to take him with them but slow the group down in the process, or use her magic to make him levitate even though she didn’t know how long she could make the spell last. Each of the options that stood before her were not to be desired but she had to make a choice and she had to make it soon.  


However, in the end, the decision was a fairly easy one to make once she established that she didn’t care if Duncan knew she could use magic. On top of that, levitating Rythian, even if it was just for a little while, wouldn’t slow them down until Zoey could no longer hold the spell up.  


Making up her mind Zoey quickly lifted her hand so her palm was directed at her unconscious Rythian. She whispered the familiar words that willed the limp body before her to rise slowly as her palm directed where the forces lifting it needed to go. Taking several deep breaths Zoey opened her eyes ready to keep the spell going as long as she could. Duncan was now in the room again, a backpack filled with survival supplies hung from his shoulders and the expression on his face was once of utter shock as he glanced at both mages.  


“Y-you can do it too?” The question was more of a verbal realization than something Zoey needed to answer. However, she did anyway with the slight nod of her head. All the while her palm was still raised in order to keep Rythian floating. Looking back to Duncan she noticed a look of curiosity and knew that he was about to bombard her with questions. They however didn’t have time for that so Zoey quickly interrupted before Duncan could say anything.  


“Yes I can but we need to get going. You can ask me anything you want once we’ve found a safe place to camp. I can’t promise that I can answer all your questions though. I’m still in training under Rythian so he knows more about magic than me,” she quickly explained while she grabbed some more non-perishables from the cabinets and handed them to Duncan. Understanding that the time for talking was over, he quickly put them in his backpack and nodded to Zoey that he was ready to leave.  


Time seemed to fly by after they left Rythian’s apartment complex. Whether it was due to adrenaline or the inability to tell what time it was other than a vague idea gathered from the Sun’s spot in the sky, Zoey didn’t know. She was careful to avoid main streets and open areas to avoid being spotted by the zombies which worked well. Duncan and her had only needed to face a few zombies that had been easy to take out from the shadows. However, their increase of luck didn’t stop there as Zoey had been surprised at her ability to keep the levitation spell up for so long. She was still getting tired of course but it wasn’t so bad that she needed to stop anytime soon.  


Time continued to go by until it was obvious that the Sun was beginning to set. As the orange rays grew brighter it become obvious to Zoey that they needed to find someplace to camp fairly quickly so that they could work out a plan to defend themselves during the night. At this realization Duncan quickly pulled out his map and, once identifying where they were, found out that they were fairly close to one of Minecraftia’s larger parks. Duncan also explained that the park was only a few miles away from the radio station and that it had a large flat-topped hill in the middle of it that would allow them to see any would-be attackers well before the they saw them.  


Zoey instantly knew that they wouldn’t be finding a better place for the night and quickly agreed to camping there. As the light began to fade the group of three made it to the top of the hill and set up the tent. Once it was finally anchored to the ground Zoey slowly lowered Rythian to the ground n the tent and ended the spell. She didn’t expect however the sudden wave of hunger and dizziness. She had stupidly thought that she was performing the spell scotch free but now she remembered what Rythian had told her once during one of her magic lessons. He had told her once that sometimes when you really need a spell in an emergency adrenaline can cause the side effects of spells to be held off until the spell is no longer being used.  


It was obvious to her now that she must have hit her limit long ago but had needed the spell so badly that her body had held off any ill effects it was having on her until the spell was no longer being used. Once again however she was lucky that she hadn’t gone so far over her limit or she could have been knocked unconscious like Rythian had leaving Duncan alone. Once she had recovered some of her strength Zoey made her way out of the tent and grabbed one of the packages of crackers she had grabbed from Rythian’s cupboards earlier. The meal was small but it eased her ravenous hunger enough that she could focus once again.  


Duncan was sitting on the ground across from her looking like he was bursting with questions. Before he could open his mouth Zoey began to explain how she had met Rythian and everything he knew about magic. It wasn’t much but it did provide Duncan with some answer until he could ask Rythian more detailed questions himself. The night went on with small talk until they both decide it was time to get some sleep. Duncan took first watch to allow Zoey some rest from her spell and promised to wake her up later so he could catch some z’s as well. All the while Rythian was fighting for control of his own body and his friends had no idea…


End file.
